Return
by Onimiman
Summary: Yet another fic starring Danni Quee; seriously, this gal really needs more fics about her. Just my opinion anyway. Otherwise, here's my story spinning off from Unexpected Guests. Jacen Solo returns from the dead, along with Onimi and Randa the Hutt, to live on Zonama.
1. Chapter 1

Return

44 ABY

Danni felt it; the return of the one she hadn't realized she loved until after she felt that he would go down a dark path, one that would bring him to his death. Ultimately feeling his demise was equally painful, but at least she managed to get through it with Tam at her side.

But now that he, Jacen Solo, was somehow back from the dead, Zonama Sekot's Magister Danni Quee only had two things on her mind as she lay naked, covered in living sheets, on the organic cot with her lover Tam Elgrin; she was naturally shocked, given how impossible it was for anyone to just come back from the dead, and also perplexed as to how this would affect her relationship with Tam.

"What's wrong, Danni?" Tam asked from the other side of the bed.

Danni looked at him; she thought that he was still asleep. Why couldn't she sense, even without Force powers, that he was awake? It obviously worried her; good thing it was Tam though, she thought, and she could sense his presence now. The resurrection of Jacen must really be setting her on edge, and Tam had just caught her with that worry.

She sighed; she had to tell him. There was no way she couldn't; as her lover on a paradise of a living world, he really was her confidant. "Jacen Solo is back."

Tam's eyes widened incredulously. "What? What're you talking about, honey?"

Danni shrugged. "He's back. I don't know how, but I sensed his return in the Force just now."

Tam blinked in disbelief. "B-but how could that be?"

"Like I said, I don't know," Danni replied. "All I know is that he's back, and... he feels more like himself than he ever was when I knew him."

Tam raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"I'm not exactly sure how I can explain it," Danni said. "What I can tell you, though, is that this isn't a bad thing."

"Last I checked, back when I was in the greater galaxy, Jacen Solo was a tyrannical Sith Lord before he died," Tam said. "Call me paranoid, Danni, but when a guy like that comes back from the grave, I tend to be a little nervous."

"I understand, Tam," Danni said. "But trust me when I tell you that you have nothing to worry about from him."

"And why shouldn't I be?" Tam asked. "I mean, sure, even if we are safe from him on this planet, I'm still going to need a little bit more reason on your part to explain why the return of _Jacen Solo_ isn't a bad thing, other than that he's 'more himself than he ever was when you knew him.'"

Danni sighed again. "It means he is more calm, at peace, with himself; I sense no speck of even minor intent to do even an amoeba any harm."

"Well, how can you tell if he isn't merely putting on some kind of facade?" Tam asked.

"I am the Magister of what is probably the only living planet in this galaxy, Tam, I _think_ I can see through trivial disguises like that," Danni affirmed.

"All right, all right," Tam said with his hands raised in defense.

After a moment, Danni said, "And he is coming here."

Tam was silent for a moment, his face devoid of any expression before he said, flatly, "Oh. Great."


	2. Chapter 2

Return: Chapter 2

The Hapan shuttle, which Jacen, as unofficial leader of the trio that he was a part of, christened the _Spiceman_, came out of hyperspace in orbit over Zonama Sekot.

"We're here, guys," Jacen, seated in the pilot chair of the _Spiceman_, called back to the other two members of his trio who were seated in the shuttle's passenger cabin.

"Yeah, well, tell us when we actually touch down, dumbass; otherwise, unless we're being attacked by mynocks, I don't give a kriff," Onimi called back. In the passenger cabin, he was playing a hologame on his datapad, which was linked up to Randa's in a coop mode. Evidently, while the Shamed Yuuzhan Vong seemed totally relaxed, given that he was making himself high on marijuana he was chemically creating within his own body, his Hutt counterpart's face was limned in frustration and anxiety as Onimi was beating him in the game.

"I love you, too, Onimi," Jacen replied wryly.

The _Spiceman_'s comm console beeped. Jacen opened up a channel. Flaring to life above the console was the image of Danni Quee in a modest green robe against the background of Zonama Sekot's ecology. Yet her unassuming dress and posture could not belay the immense Force presence she gave off even through the comm image; she was definitely a different person from that doubtful scientist who barely had any time to utilize her potential in the Force. Now she was granted ultimate power on the living planet.

"Jacen Solo," Danni said. "Given the actions that you have perpetrated four years ago, I have to ask: What are your intentions here?"

Jacen's face was crossed in confusion before it smoothed out in remembrance; after he, Onimi, and Randa crashed Jaina's wedding, the trio had been told that the Jacen Solo of this reality turned into an evil Sith Lord named Darth Caedus before Jaina had to cut him down here. Given the circumstances, Danni had every right to be inquisitive. He was just curious why her first question was, "How are you alive?" before she asked him for his intentions.

"I came here for a home, Danni," Jacen answered. "And I got two other people here who wanna join in."

Danni nodded. "Yes, I have sensed them. I am surprised by the presence of a Force-sensitive Yuuzhan Vong. Perhaps he could serve as a role model for his people here, considering that they are still undergoing the process of returning to the Force."

"Oh, I doubt Onimi would be a good role model here," Jacen replied.

"I heard that! And I'm still pwning Randa in this game here!" Onimi called back.

"Look, we're just looking for a place to stay, is that all right?" Jacen asked Danni, ignoring Onimi.

Danni nodded again. "That is acceptable. I now give you permission to land." With that, the image flickered, and Danni was gone.

~o~

"You still sure you made the right decision, Danni?" Tam asked after Danni cut off communication with Jacen.

"Of course," Danni said after she turned to him. "Tam, stop worrying. We can trust him."

Tam opened his mouth to protest, but he stopped himself and instead said, with a nod, "If you say so."

Then they looked back up to the sky and watched as the Hapan shuttle began soaring down through Zonama`s atmosphere.


	3. Chapter 3

Return: Chapter 3

The _Spiceman_ settled down on one of the outskirts of Zonama Sekot. Jacen then began to shut down all power to the ship as he called back, "We're here, guys!"

"Awesome, I was getting bored with this game anyway," Onimi said as he shut off his datapad and put it in his pocket.

Beside him, Randa rolled his eyes in a mixture of annoyance and defeat as he, too, shut off his datapad from the game that Onimi defeated him in. He then began to follow the deformed Yuuzhan Vong out of the passenger cabin and to the still-closed boarding ramp of the _Spiceman_. Onimi opened it up manually with a push of a button and then called back, "Jacen, Randa and I are just gonna get a head start by waiting outside, that okay with you?"

"Yeah, it's fine, I just need another half minute, then I'll join you two," Jacen called back.

"Awesome," Onimi said unenthusiastically as he began to walk down the ramp, Randa slithering behind him.

Just as Onimi's feet touched the surface of the living world, the form of Magister Danni Quee manifested before him and Randa. The two of them reacted with a start before settling down quickly, with Onimi pretending like it didn't happen and that he saw Danni there while Randa still appeared nervous.

"So you must be Jacen's passengers, I assume," Danni said.

"You assume correctly," Randa said with his loud, boisterous voice, cutting off Onimi from committing an opening reply. "I am Randa Besadii Diori." He then performed the Hutt equivalent of a bow.

Danni nodded in Randa's direction before returning her attention to Onimi. "And you are."

"Name's Onimi," the Yuuzhan Vong answered. "Now who are you?"

"I am the living sentient consciousness known as Sekot," the form of Danni said. "And I have heard of you, Onimi. You were the one who truly led your people to invade this galaxy almost twenty years ago, am I correct?"

"This reality's version, sure," Onimi said. "But not me. I never got the chance before Jacen and Randa picked me up from my home dimension."

"Home dimension, hmm?" Sekot asked. "Interesting. So you are telling me that this Jacen Solo is also from another reality?"

Onimi nodded. "Bingo. Same goes for Randa."

"I see," Sekot said fluidly.

At that, Jacen came walking down the ramp. He stopped when he saw Danni Quee's form there. "Sekot," he said with a respectful nod.

"Jacen," Sekot nodded. "Onimi here just told me that you are all from different realities. How is this possible?"

"Well, from where I came from, my time with the Force-sensitive species known as the Aing-Tii first brought me to Randa's reality where I picked him up to spare him from his people's wrath," Jacen explained. "After that, I tried to get back home, but I ended up in Onimi's reality where he didn't give his people a chance to invade the galaxy of his dimension since I picked him up. So for several years after that, we were lost in a reality vortex until we ended up here. And since we're all supposed to be dead here, and me and Onimi not being all that welcomed for what we did-though more me since I'm very well-known for what I did-we were looking for a place to call home. And I figured, well, why not Zonama Sekot?"

"You have decided wisely, Jacen," Sekot said with a smile. "I will welcome you as I have welcomed the Yuuzhan Vong, including Nom Anor, and the Bothans who tried to kill me."

Jacen and Onimi appeared surprised at this. "Nommy's still here?" Onimi asked.

Sekot nodded. "Yes. He was found to be alive ten years after the Yuuzhan Vong War ended and he was brought here. However, a group of Bothans tracked him down and nearly tried to destroy me and the people I support. Fortunately, the Bothans were defeated and are now living in a village away from the Yuuzhan Vong. They have no hope of escape."

"Well, good to know you're safe at least," Jacen said. "So you gonna take us to our homes yet?"

"Of course," Sekot said. "Follow me."


	4. Chapter 4

Return: Chapter 4

"Why did we have to walk all the way out here?" Randa complained as he walked side-by-side with Jacen and Onimi as they followed Sekot's ethereal form of Magister Danni Quee. "Why couldn't we take the _Spiceman_? We could have flown over here no problem!"

"Quit your whining, Randa," Jacen said nonchalantly. "It's a nice walk, and it's great to feel the Force presence around us."

"For you and Onimi, maybe," Randa said. "But I don't have the luxury of experiencing the Force. So as it is for me, this is a big waste of my time."

"You mean you don't even like the site of this world?" Jacen asked with disappointment.

"I don't have an appreciation for nature like others do," Randa said. "I always did prefer the technological constructs that my home galaxy, and even this galaxy for that matter, could afford me."

Jacen sighed. "Well, suit yourself, Randa. I'm not gonna tell you what you can or can't enjoy. That's up to you."

"Of course it is," Randa said firmly before turning back to Sekot, whose back was still turned to the mismatched trio as she continued to head to the village that they would all call home. "So, Sekot, how much longer until we get to this village?"

"Only a few more minutes, Randa," Sekot said in Danni's voice without turning back. "Be patient."

"Very well then," Randa said as diplomatically as a Hutt like him could come across as. "But may I at least ask what will come of the _Spiceman_?"

"You didn't bother to ask any of these questions before we left?" Onimi asked before Sekot could answer Randa's inquiry.

"Well, I just assumed that the village wouldn't be too far!" Randa defended himself. "I didn't know that Sekot would take us on a long walk just so you two can experience the Force around you like this!"

"Who said I was enjoying this?" Onimi asked. "It's Jacen here who's enjoying it. I'm just going along with the emotions as I continue to make myself high on the marijuana I'm conjuring in my own system."

"Then why didn't you correct me on that point, Onimi?" Jacen asked.

"Because I didn't give enough of a crap," Onimi said.

Jacen looked perplexed. "Then if you didn't give enough of a crap to tell me, why'd you give enough of a crap to tell Randa?"

"Because I hate him, that's why," Onimi said.

"Wait, why do you hate me?" Randa asked.

"Because you're the straight man of the trio," Onimi answered. "And even though we need you to make sure we don't get too stupid when Jacen and I are on drugs, I still despise your fat, disgusting presence."

"This sounds like a particularly odd relationship that you all have with each other," Sekot commented without turning back.

"You have no idea," Jacen said.

"But in answer to your previous question, Randa, before Onimi cut me off, I can assure you that the _Spiceman_ will remain where it is until you three will leave," Sekot said.

"Leave?" Jacen asked. "What do you mean leave?"

"Leave Zonama, of course," Sekot said. "It is a hypothetical though. You are welcome to spend the remainder of your lives here, but you may leave at any time you wish."

"Oh, okay then," Randa said, assured.

A couple minutes later, a village several miles wide appeared before Jacen, Onimi, and Randa, who were still following Sekot. The form of Danni Quee stopped in her tracks and swiveled around to the trio that she was leading. "Gentlemen," she said, "welcome to La'okio, one of Zonama's several villages for the Yuuzhan Vong." She then turned back around and continued walking without anymore words, and Jacen, Onimi, and Randa followed suit.

It wasn't long before they all entered the village. Lined across what could be called the "streets" of La'okio were Yuuzhan Vong, who, with the exception of the former Shamed Ones, paid little heed to the appearance of even Sekot's Magister as they roamed about performing the mundane tasks that their lives on Zonama afforded them. Of course, it wasn't as Sekot demanded absolute worship from a species that had spent most of their millennia of existence believing in gods who thrived on sacrifice; even after fifteen years here, Sekot still felt like they needed time to adjust.

As it was, Zonama's living consciousness was evidently content to see that her subjects were going about their mundane lives with little to no conflict. For those of the former Shamed and worker caste, they acknowledged the appearance of Danni with respectful nods to even going out of their way to quietly bow before her before Sekot waved away their platitudes, indicating that they should get back to work.

But while most barely even acknowledged the one who represented the living consciousness of their homeworld, every Yuuzhan Vong in site, without exception, stopped what they were doing when they saw the newly-arrived trio. And it wasn't out of simple curiosity, and neither was it on all three members; while there were those who were curious to see Randa and Onimi, all attention was focused on Jacen. Very little attention was given to Onimi anyway, and barely anyone cared about why a Hutt like Randa was here, even if it was an odd site to see on Zonama.

In spite of this, though, the trio kept moving, still following Sekot, who didn't stop to have all the Yuuzhan Vong ignore La'okio's new arrivals; she knew that the Vong would shortly get back to their lives. Many, if not all of them, would question why Jacen Solo, a legendary figure among them, was here, but Sekot had no problem explaining why after she led him, Onimi, and Randa to their home.

"Say, how do you three feel about living with each other?" Sekot asked back to the trio, still not turning back to face them.

"You mean we're not living in different grashals?" Onimi asked.

"No, you're not, Onimi," Sekot said, turning her head back to view him out of the corner of one of Danni Quee's eyes. "As much as you hate Randa, you will still be living with him and Jacen."

"You mean you only have one grashal available for us?" Onimi asked.

"Oh, no, I have plenty of vacant ones here," Sekot said. "I just hope to see you get along with Randa, is all."

"But why?" Onimi asked.

"I try to get rid of hatred among my subjects," Sekot answered. "Even if they are petty and minor. You would be surprised how even after all these years, there are still those in the former elite castes, especially among those who were warriors, who would not mingle with the Extolled."

"Oh, let me guess," Jacen interjected. "The Extolled is the name given to the former Shamed Ones, right?"

"Exactly," Sekot answered. "Ah, here is your grashal." She then walked over to a random grashal and led Jacen, Onimi, and Randa there. The door opened before her, and the trio of men followed her inside to take in the surroundings of their new home.

"Nice place," Onimi commented about the organic designs of the living home. "Do we each have separate rooms, though?"

"Randa will have his own separate room," Sekot explained. "You, Onimi, will be sharing a room with Jacen."

"Will we have to share the same bed?" Onimi asked nervously.

Sekot put a sardonic smile on Danni's face. "Fortunately for you, no. You will be sleeping in a bunkbed."

"I call top!" Jacen exclaimed loudly.

"Screw you," Onimi said in an indignant tone. "I wanted the top bunk."

"Hey, since we share the same room, maybe you can get to do that, man, and you know..." Jacen trailed off in a mocking tone, batting his eyelashes to Onimi.

"Don't flatter yourself," Onimi said sardonically.

"Hey, wait," Randa said to Sekot, "if you say you want to get rid of the hatred that exists between Onimi and I, why don't you have us sleep in the same room and allow Jacen to sleep alone? He doesn't really have much of a problem with either of us, and quite frankly, neither do Onimi and I."

"Well, I do have a few problems with Jacen, but... Hold on, hold on, Randa, why the hell did you even just suggest that to Sekot?" Onimi asked.

"Wait, wait, wait, what problems do you have with me?" Jacen asked.

"You killed me back in your home dimension," Onimi said. "That's not exactly something I'm looking past in our relationship."

"It was an alternate reality version of you, man!" Jacen said. "It doesn't apply to you!"

Onimi rolled his mismatched eyes. "Whatever."

"Anyway," Sekot said, turning back to Randa, "I believe that putting you and Onimi in the same room will merely exacerbate the problems between you. I am allowing enough room between you two to sort things out, but not to be so smothering about it. And plus, given Randa's girth, I'm sure it would be uncomfortable for Onimi to be sleeping in the same room with a Hutt in any way."

"Well, gee, thanks for that," Randa said sarcastically. "At least I have a whole room to myself."

"Lucky you," Onimi said.

"Well, I shall take my leave now," Sekot said. "I will inform you of your duties in the village tomorrow. Until then, I bid you all adieu."

"Bye," the trio said uniformly as Sekot left.

After the planetary consciousness's form of Danni Quee had departed the grashal, Onimi said, "Well, I think I'll spend my day looking about the village. Any of you wanna come?"

"I thought you said you hated us," Randa said.

"I do, but that won't stop me from hanging out with either of you," Onimi said.

"I guess that's fair," Jacen said with a shrug. "What about it, Randa, you in?"

"Nah, I think I'll make myself comfortable here, if that's okay with the both of you," Randa said as he moved to the grashal's steps to the upper level.

"Eh, suit yourself," Onimi said, waving the Hutt away. "C'mon, Jacen, let's go. I bet we'll find some old friends here."

~o~

Ten minutes into their walk throughout La'okio, Jacen broke the silence between himself and Onimi by asking, "You never told me you were uncomfortable about hanging around me because I killed your alternate self here."

"I didn't say I was uncomfortable with hanging out with you because of that, I just have a lesser opinion of you because of the fact that you killed my alternate self here," Onimi said defensively. "Don't get me wrong, I still like being friends with you though."

"So this ain't a strain on our friendship then?" Jacen asked.

"It's a minor strain, but it's a strain I can live with," Onimi said. "Like how my people have been living off it for thousands of years within the Intergalactic Void."

"Well, it wasn't like that was a good thing for them, now was it?" Jacen retorted. "Look how they're living now."

"What's your point?" Onimi asked, impatient.

"My point is, if our friendship is going to work out to its fullest potential, never mind your animosity towards Randa just for being an uptight guy, we gotta smooth out any grievances towards each other, man, and I'm certainly willing to work it out," Jacen said.

"So what you're saying is that my minor dislike for you is what my people went through with the religion that nearly killed them, and smoothing that dislike out into nothingness is my people on Zonama Sekot, if we're speaking in metaphors, right?" Onimi asked.

"Yes, exactly!" Jacen pointed out, nearly shouting.

"So, in essence, you want our relationship to be perfect," Onimi stated.

"Well, I don't want it to be perfect, per se, since nothing is perfect, of course, but I want our friendship to be as smooth as possible," Jacen said.

"Our relationship is already as smooth as it can be," Onimi said.

"No, it isn't, since you still harbor a feeling of resentment because of what I did to your alternate version here," Jacen said.


	5. Chapter 5

Return: Chapter 5

"You don't have to come with me if you don't want to," Danni said to Tam near the closed exit of their private grashal. "I'm doing this for myself, Tam."

"I know, I know, Danni," Tam replied in an exasperated tone. "But even though I don't want to see him again, especially after what he did to pretty much the rest of the galaxy three years ago, I'm still coming with you for you."

"What, to protect me or something?" Danni retorted. "We've been through this already, Tam; I don't need your protection, I've got the entire planet protecting me! You've got nothing to worry about."

"Again, I know, but you know me, honey," Tam said, placing his hands on his lover's shoulders. "I worry about you. It's who I am."  
Danni smiled. "Okay, if it makes you feel better knowing with a hundred percent certainty that I'm safe, you can come with me, dear."

~o~

"Jacen, man, can you get over this already?" Onimi asked, annoyed, as he and Jacen continued walking through the makeshift streets of La'okio. "It isn't a big deal. Sekot doesn't even think so. Face it, dude, you really do want our friendship to be perfect, and I keep telling you, it ain't gonna happen. Just like my people here will never be fully satisfied with living on Zonama Sekot, and again, Sekot said so. You really gonna question the sentient consciousness of a living planet over this?"

"Oh, c'mon, man, look around you-" Jacen was cut off when, nearby, two Yuuzhan Vong began beating up an unseen male victim. The victim's shouts permeated the air, forcing almost every Yuuzhan Vong in the area to stop what they were doing and witness the violence occurring.

"Told ya," Onimi said off-handedly to Jacen.

"We gotta help him!" Jacen exclaimed, ignoring Onimi's remark.

"Why?" Onimi asked. "Sekot can take care of it."

"That doesn't mean we still shouldn't help anyway!" Jacen replied.

"No, I think it does," Onimi stated.

"Onimi!" Jacen whined.

"Okay, okay, if it'll stop your complaining, we'll help this schmuck," Onimi said.

Jacen nodded with an approving smile before saying, "And no killing, either."

"Fine," Onimi said in his ever-present annoyed tone.

With that, Jacen and Onimi charged headlong to stop the violence with no bystander even commenting on what they were going to do to even remotely warn the Yuuzhan Vong attackers. The human and the deformed Vong each tackled one of the attackers to the ground and away from their embattled victim. Jacen quickly dispatched his own opponent by slamming his head against the ground, knocking him unconscious instantly. Onimi, meanwhile, scratched the back of his own victim's neck, sending a diluted amount of his inner toxins to render the Yuuzhan Vong unconscious.

Jacen and Onimi then pushed off their victims and turned to the Yuuzhan Vong who was being attacked. They both reacted with evident surprise.

"Nom Anor!" they said in unison.

"Jacen Solo?" Nom Anor said as he looked at the only human present in the village. "What are you doing here? I thought you and your family had had enough of me after your aunt and Tahiri Veila brought me here five years ago."

"Well, Onimi and I didn't have anywhere else to go, so Sekot allowed us to live here for as long as we wanted," Jacen explained simply.

"Onimi?" Nom Anor asked as he turned to his other savior. His one eye widened in shock at the site of the disgusting creature who he alone, as a Yuuzhan Vong anyway, knew was their species' true Supreme Overlord. "No! How can you still be alive?! I watched you die fifteen years ago!"

"No, you watched your reality's version of me die fifteen years ago," Onimi corrected. "To make a long story short, the Jacen behind you and I are from different realities."

Nom Anor turned back to Jacen with a confused look replacing his shocked one. "What is he talking about?"

"Pretty much everything he's saying is true, Nom Anor," Jacen said. "We're from outside this realm."

"How?" Nom Anor asked, his confusion piling up.

"Like Onimi said, it's a long story; you wouldn't wanna hear it, man," Jacen said.

Nom Anor held his confused look for some time before shaking his head and said to Jacen, "Well, either way, thank you for saving me. Those two-" he indicated the Yuuzhan Vong that Jacen and Onimi knocked out "-were former warriors who have had enough of living on Zonama and decided to take out their rage and frustration on the man who was responsible for bringing our people here."

"Well, you're welcome," Jacen said. "What's Sekot gonna do with 'em, though?"

"She will detain them in the quarters of their individual grashals," Nom Anor answered. "It is what she does to all insubordinate Yuuzhan Vong on Zonama who are stubborn to hold onto the old ways."

"Good to know," Onimi commented. "Say, Nommy, should we have lunch together tomorrow?"

Nom Anor turned to the misshapen Yuuzhan Vong. "What?"

"Do you want to have lunch tomorrow?" Onimi repeated. "It's a very simple question."

"Why would I want to have lunch with you?" Nom Anor asked.

"Oh, I don't know, how about for saving your life, how 'bout that?" Onimi retorted.

Nom Anor sighed in muted frustration. "If you think this is how I can pay you back, then yes, I will have lunch with you tomorrow."

Jacen viewed the exchange with obvious perplexity as Onimi continued with, "Awesome. See ya tomorrow then. C'mon, Jacen, wanna go back to the grashal."

"Uh, sure," Jacen replied. Then he joined Onimi in walking away from the scene.

"What was that all about?" Jacen asked Onimi once they were out of earshot from Nom Anor.

"What, I can't make friends who I may actually like a lot more?" Onimi retorted.

Jacen bit back a sharp reply. Instead, he asked, "How do you even know Nom Anor? I pulled you out of the reality before you even got a chance to know him."

"Well, I don't know about the relationship this Nom Anor had with the Onimi he ultimately knew, but in my reality, I was actually friends with him before I was Shamed," Onimi said.

"Oh," Jacen said. "So you wanna be friends with him here."

"Sure, why not?" Onimi asked.

"Well, okay then," Jacen said with something in his tone that stated that he wasn't all that comfortable with this arrangement.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Onimi asked.

"Nothing," Jacen lied.

"Nice try," Onimi retorted. "C'mon, what's going on?"

"Nothing's going on, Onimi."

"You're jealous, aren't you?"

"What?" Jacen exclaimed. "What makes you think that?"

"You're jealous that I wanna be friends more with Nom Anor than with you, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not!" Jacen replied.

"Yeah, sure," Onimi said sarcastically.

"I'm not!" Jacen emphasized.

"Whatever," Onimi said.

Jacen sighed in defeat, but decided to let the matter drop.


	6. Chapter 6

Return: Chapter 6

Nas Choka, the last Warmaster of the Yuuzhan Vong, now unofficial de facto leader of the species in La'okio, watched in masked disappointment as the unconscious forms of Zhat Lah and Tla, the two former warriors who attacked Nom Anor just moments earlier, hovered above the ground by the power of Sekot. Their bodies were then carried away into the distance of the village so that they would be imprisoned for however much time Sekot would deem for attacking Nom Anor, which, if Choka guessed correctly, would be a week at worst.

As it was, though, Nom Anor once again escaping death as he had numerous times during the war against the infidels had quietly built up rage within Choka. He had wanted the former Prefect of Yuuzhan'tar to die ever since Danni Quee brought him to La'okio five years earlier; Nom Anor's survival from the war had been a surprise to everyone. The Shamed Ones-Choka still liked to think of them that way rather than the Extolled-were grateful to see Yu'shaa, their Prophet, return ten years after the invasion on the galaxy had ended. Most of the rest of the former elite castes, especially amidst the warriors like Choka, were at best peeved to see Nom Anor, of all people, to have survived the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar, and since then, there were quite a number of attempts on the former Prefect's life for inflaming the Jeedai heresy that ultimately brought down Shimrra's rule.

Most of those attempts were orchestrated by Choka. And every time Nom Anor didn't die, even when it wasn't even by warriors sent by Choka, it only made the former Warmaster even more lustful for Nom Anor's blood. He considered trying it himself; after all, if you want a job done right, you got to do it yourself, Choka heard among the infidels during the invasion. But with Sekot keeping order in La'okio, Choka knew that he would fail in killing Nom Anor himself just as all the other former warriors had.

That didn't mean he wouldn't stop trying. He just had to persist. But now it would be harder, especially now that Jacen Solo, one of the Jeedai essential in bringing down the society whose death coincided with Shimrra's, was here. And it was a surprise to see Onimi, Shimrra's pet Shamed One, especially since no one had seen the disgusting creature since the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar a decade and half ago. Choka was not caught off guard as to how Solo could easily dispatch an ex-warrior like Lah-whose cousin, Choka remembered, Tsavong Lah, the penultimate Yuuzhan Vong Warmaster and Choka's predeccessor, had been defeated by Solo in the second year of the invasion, and died by Solo's sister's hands two years later-but he didn't expect a pathetic, lowly creature like Onimi to have defeated Tla even more easily. It made Choka wonder...

Sekot would be surprised to find that Nas Choka, the Yuuzhan Vong who assured the end of the war fifteen years earlier, was the one who orchestrated the majority of the attacks on Nom Anor. After all, with the exception of those he sent to kill the former Prefect, Choka was thought even by the Shamed Ones as a good and noble leader who approved of the abolishment of Shimrra's rule. But really, that was because Choka just didn't see the point of carrying on a rule that he knew ended with Shimrra's demise, and which even the priests, like Harrar, admitted was a false religion that they had all followed. Choka only allowed for the species to conclude their war on the infidels because fighting until they were extinct was a pointless move anyway; at least they had a chance at salvation on Zonama.

But if shedding salvation meant ending Nom Anor's life, Choka would surely take it.

The former Warmaster turned away from the scene where Lah and Tla were attacking Nom Anor, just as the rest of the Yuuzhan Vong had, but was stopped dead in his tracks when he found Harrar standing in front of him. Choka knew that by this time, Harrar was the very first Yuuzhan Vong among them to have attained a reconnection to the Force, and thus acted as a bridge between the Force and their species that not even Sekot or Danni Quee could act as.

"I know you were responsible for Zhat Lah and Tla attacking Nom Anor, Choka," Harrar said. "Tell me why I shouldn't inform Magister Quee of this transgression?"

Instead of replying immediately, Choka smiled. "What proof have you, Eminence?"

Harrar winced at the statement of his former title. "I am no longer a priest, you know that, Warmaster. But for this, I will only give you one more chance. Stop your attacks on Nom Anor and let go of your hatred for him as I have. I will admit, even as I have reconnected to the Force, I am still not fond of him, but at least he is doing more for himself and his people than you are right now."

Choka's nostrils flared in anger at this. "You are lucky you have the Force, Harrar." The former Warmaster let the silent threat hang in the air as he walked past the former priest and headed back to his grashal.

Harrar turned back to watch Choka retreat with an equal mix of anger and disappointment.


	7. Chapter 7

Return: Chapter 7

"You know, Jacen, I noticed you haven't smoked any spice since we got here," Onimi said as he and his human companion continued to walk the streets of La'okio back to their grashal. "You've remained quite sober here surprisingly enough, and much more normal; you didn't act like a Qiiluran hippie at all recently. What's with that?"

"Well, there is the fact that I left all that spice back on the _Spiceman_, for one," Jacen answered, his tone lacking any of the bitterness that he had towards Onimi after they saved Nom Anor. "And, well, we're on a living planet enveloped in the Force. This entire world's got my Force senses making me feel like I'm already high. I don't need any spice to make me feel good. How 'bout you, still making yourself high by manufacturing marijuana in your system?"

"As always," Onimi said casually. "But at this point, I'm so high, I might as well be normal, if that makes any sense."

"No, no, it doesn't," Jacen said nonchalantly. "But you know, I think you may wanna lay off the inner marijuana and allow your Force senses to thrive on this world."

"And why would I wanna do that?" Onimi asked.

"Because, trust me, allowing your Force senses to run on this world is a million times better than getting high on spice ever could," Jacen explained.

"Well, you can't tell me what to do, you know," Onimi said. "So until I decide I wanna let my Force senses roam free here, I'll stick to my marijuana."

Jacen sighed. "Suit yourself."

"I always do," Onimi said.

They continued walking along in silence for quite a while before they stopped in their tracks to find two other humans walking toward them; one was a slim blond woman with green robes, indicating that she was the Magister of Zonama Sekot, and a tall, burly man who shadowed her like a bodyguard. Jacen had no doubt that that was what he was before coming here.

"Hi, Jacen!" Danni Quee waved before running over to him.

"Danni!" Jacen said with a smile, running up to her as well.

They met halfway and hugged each other. After a few seconds, they pulled back, their smiles still visible on their faces, and Danni said, "Oh, it's good to see you after so long! How've you been doing?"

"Oh, I'm doing all right now," Jacen said. "How 'bout you?"

"Eh, running Zonama is much easier than one would think, especially with Tam here," Danni replied, nodding her head back to indicate the muscular human behind her.

"Oh, what's he been doing?" Jacen asked.

"I'm Danni's consort," the man answered for himself sternly, his arms crossed and his face impassive.

Jacen then pulled away from Danni with a face equally as impassive and walked over to the big man. "I don't think we've met," Jacen said as he stuck out his hand. "The name's Jacen Solo."

"I know," the other man said, not sticking his own hand out. "The entire galaxy knows, in fact, especially after what you pulled on it years ago."

Jacen lowered his hand as his face became crossed with confusion. "I'm sorry?" Then he made a face of realization. "Oh, right, the whole Darth Caedus thing. Well, for your information, I happen to be from an alternate reality, so what happened then wasn't my fault."

"Alternate reality?" the man asked. "I find that kinda hard to swallow."

"You're on a living planet filled with the Force, and you find alternate realities hard to swallow?" Jacen asked.

The man didn't answer. "I'll be watching you, Solo," he said with an underlying tone of menace in his voice.

"Tam, stop it," Danni said, interposing herself between Jacen and the other man.

"No, it's fine," Jacen said. "I see what's going on. If... I'm sorry, what was your name? Tam something?"

"Tam Elgrin," the big man said.

"Tam Elgrin, if you think I mean Danni any harm because of what the version of me in this reality did here, you've got another thing coming," Jacen said with no hint of a threat.

"We'll see," Tam said before focusing his attention on his lover. "Danni, can we go now?"

"Tam, I've barely been able to catch up with Jacen at all, I'm not going back to the grashal just yet," Danni said. "But you can if you want to."

Tam looked back from Danni to Jacen, then back to Danni again. He sighed. "Fine, we'll have it your way. I'll stay."

Danni nodded before turning back to Jacen. The two of them chatted for a bit, and during the conversation, Jacen asked her, "You know, you didn't seem all this talkative back when I was in orbit. What was with that?"

"Oh, I still had my suspicions, given what Tam told me about the Second Galactic Civil War, but after Sekot confirmed to me that you were genuinely from an alternate reality, I knew I could trust you," she said.

The conversation carried on for a bit more time until Danni concluded it with, "So how about dinner with Tam and I tonight?"

"What?" Tam asked, a tone of anger evident in his voice.

"Uh, sure, I'd love to," Jacen said, ignoring Tam's remark.

"Great, I'll see you in three hours, at my grashal," Danni said. "Sekot will personally guide you to it."

"Can I bring Onimi-" Jacen indicated his head back to his deformed Yuuzhan Vong friend "-and Randa with me?"

"I don't see why not," Danni said with a shrug.

"No," Tam said simply at the same time.

Danni turned on her lover when he said that, giving him a glare from which he couldn't escape from until he said, "All right, fine, he can bring his friends."

"Cool," Jacen said. "Well, see ya later."


	8. Chapter 8

Return: Chapter 8

As night settled over La'okio, Nom Anor decided to head home to his grashal following the end of his cultivating duties among the village. Throughout his on-foot trek back to what could be called his sanctuary in a place filled with people who wanted to kill him, he was wary of all those who passed him, even obvious members of the Extolled who would treat him with nothing but reverence as Yu'shaa the Prophet. The attack made upon him by Zhat Lah and Tla was not the first attack he endured, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, he knew. Yet, considering that attacks weren't as frequent here as they were while Shimrra-or rather Onimi (the one who was thankfully dead, Nom Anor reminded himself)-had been ruling the Yuuzhan Vong, even someone of Nom Anor's wariness can let their guard down, especially after a relatively long period of time had come to pass between attacks.

And that was what happened today. He let his guard down, actually allowing himself to believe that maybe no one would attack him today. And as if to counter that thought, Zhat Lah and Tla set upon him to try to beat him to death. In previous times, it would be either Sekot herself who would stop the violence or followers of Yu'shaa's Jeedai heresy; then it was Jacen Solo and Onimi of all people who saved him that time. Now Nom Anor had no choice but to accept Onimi's request of that lunch tomorrow so that they could be even; at least in that disgusting creature's demented head.

Nom Anor discontinued this line of thought and continued to head back to his grashal. When he rounded the corner to head back home, he stopped when he saw Nas Choka ahead of him.

"Hello, Nom Anor," Choka said. "I've been wondering where I could find you."

"What do you want, Choka?" Nom Anor asked.

"I witnessed the attack that Zhat Lah and Tla had performed against you," Choka explained. "It was such a surprise to see a legend among the Yuuzhan Vong like Jacen Solo save you from certain death; especially after all you had done against him and his family."

"What happened to him and his family, the entire Yuuzhan Vong race was responsible for, including you, Choka," Nom Anor said. "I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't solely responsible for those atrocities."

"Oh, no, you weren't," Choka said. "That much is clear. But you did more for us than most of us had... as well as doing more against us than any traitor like that bird woman Vergere."

"All these years and you're still not over the surrender that you yourself called for?" Nom Anor asked. "Seems self-defeating to me."

"You left us no choice, you know," Choka said. "I know that the Jeedai heresy wasn't all that killed our millennia-long society; most of the blame I personally assign to the infidels. But we both know that we could have had a better chance in victory against the Galactic Alliance were it not for the heresy that you inflamed as Yu'shaa."

"I think you forget, Choka, that what the likes of Shimrra had led was a lie," Nom Anor said.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten about that," Choka interjected.

"A lie that even Shimrra himself was aware of," Nom Anor added.

Choka smirked. "He seemed quite genuine in his belief in the gods in the final days of the war from what I saw. Did you not see it?"

"By then, Shimrra was quite mad; I'm not even sure he knew what words he was espousing after Zonama Sekot appeared in the skies of Coruscant," Nom Anor said. "What I do know was that all the while, from the time he toppled Quoreal from the polyp throne to the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar, Shimrra had always hungered power for himself."

"Ah, yes, even I admit that I cannot deny that truth even during Shimrra's reign," Choka stated. "But regardless, I didn't necessarily come here to talk about the folly of following Shimrra, although I was quite interested in talking to you about it, Nom Anor. No, what I did come here was to speak to you about what Onimi really is."

Nom Anor's one true eye narrowed in suspicion. "Onimi?"

"It is perplexing, I must say, that no one had seen that monster since the final battle of the war," Choka said. "And while I doubt anyone who even knew about him really cared about what happened to him after the war had ended, I must say that it is quite intriguing why we have not seen him until today; and saving you, no less. Sure, he offered that outlandish explanation that he and Jacen Solo were from alternate realities, but regardless, I sincerely doubt that the Onimi who cackled and rhymed at Shimrra's feet would so easily defeat a warrior like Tla with a simple scratch at the back of his head. Don't you think?"

"It must be a big difference between these Onimis, I believe," Nom Anor said.

"Then why didn't a keen eye such as yours, pardon the pun, take note of that even when you were surprised to see him alive, considering that you openly declared seeing him die?" Choka asked.

Nom Anor took a moment to himself to answer that. "Well, it is true that I had watched Onimi die. And it was certainly a big shock to see him alive. I guess it must have slipped my mind how this Onimi could defeat Tla so easily."

"Yes, just as it slips your mind to keep your guard up against those who still wish you dead here in La'okio," Choka commented. "But something tells me that there's more to this than you're letting on."

"Oh?" Nom Anor asked. "Like what?"

"I am not entirely sure, but I know that you know more than you are informing me," Choka said.

"Well, until you find out what that is, I shall return to my grashal..."

Choka blocked Nom Anor's way to return to his home. "You are going to tell me, right now, about what you know of Onimi."

"And if I don't?" Nom Anor challenged.

"Who do you think would last longer in a fight? A bureaucratic Intendent such as yourself, or an esteemed warrior such as myself?" Choka threatened.

"Quite an ego you still have, Choka," Nom Anor retorted. "I wouldn't have expected that coming from you. From someone like Tsavong Lah, yes, but I'm surprised at your willingness to sustain a tradition that was based on lies."

"Don't test me," Choka intoned.

"Like I haven't tested the warriors that you and Lah led?" Nom Anor asked. "You'd be surprised at how easily I was able to kill so many in the final battle of the war. And to think any of you put up a challenge for the Jedi. You know, you should count your blessings here, Choka; on Zonama, you don't have to endure anymore embarrassment from the incompetence of your warriors. No wonder they died in so many droves during the war. And I thought that they died for the loyalty they showed to their fictitious gods!"

Choka then quickly raised a fist, but before he could throw it out to punch Nom Anor, his fist was caught by a hand from behind. Choka looked behind and saw Harrar holding his fist.

"Is there a problem here?" Harrar asked.

"No, there is no problem," Nom Anor answered.

Choka looked back to his would-be victim before looking back at Harrar. "Like he said."

Harrar then let go of Choka's fist, albeit with obvious reluctance. "The both of you, return to your grashals immediately for the night."

Nom Anor and Choka wordlessly nodded before the latter walked past the former, deliberately bumping into him while the former Prefect of Yuuzhan'tar continued his route back to his own grashal.

"Do not think that you are exempt from scrutiny, Nom Anor," Harrar said without turning around.

Nom Anor stopped briefly in his tracks, but he didn't turn back either. "And what have I done?"

"You nearly destroyed Zonama, that's what you did," Harrar answered.

Nom Anor snorted and turned around. "That was years ago. And even Sekot had forgiven me after I returned."

Harrar then turned around to face Nom Anor. "You are correct. Since your deliverance by Mara Jade Skywalker and Tahiri Veila, you have not once done anything in any way to try to either destabilize the peace that the Yuuzhan Vong have gathered here in La'okio, nor did you try to do something like sabotage Zonama's hyperdrive cores again. And for that, Sekot has not put you on any special scrutiny. I, on the other hand, knowing all too well what kind of person you are, are still very skeptical of your intentions."

For a while, Nom Anor didn't say anything. Then he came out with, "Thanks. For saving me, that is."

Harrar nodded without mirth. "You are very welcome."

No further words were communicated between them as Nom Anor turned around to travel the last bit of distance back to his grashal. Harrar continued to stand there for some time before he, too, turned around and walked away.


	9. Chapter 9

Return: Chapter 9

"Okay, everything's set, so they should be here at any moment," Danni commented enthusiastically as she looked over the ready dinner table that held all of the food prepared for her and Tam's guests.

"You seem a little overly cheery about this, Danni," Tam said from the other side of the table, across from his lover.

"What do you mean overly cheery?" Danni asked. "I'm just excited to have Jacen and his friends join us, is all, Tam."

"Right," Tam stated simply before he sat himself in his seat.

Danni then looked at him with consternation. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Tam said, not looking directly in Danni's eyes. "Nothing. Just... acknowledging your excitement over this, honey."

Danni crossed her arms, her glaring look not dissipating before Tam. "All right, spill it. What's wrong?"

Tam sighed, looking down at the table briefly. "Why did I even consider lying to a Force-sensitive woman who's running a living world?" he muttered to himself before looking back up at Danni. "You know I'm still not all that enthusiastic about Solo and his friends coming over here."

"You made that quite obvious today," Danni remarked in a neutral tone that somehow managed to convey the full extent of her disapproval over her lover's behavior earlier that day. "But it's more than that, isn't it?" She sat down when she asked that question.

"What makes you think that?" Tam asked instead.

Danni made a sidelong face at her lover. "C'mon, Tam, we've known each other for several months already. That, and the fact that I could read your feelings without even needing to be the Magister of this planet. Something else is bothering you, I can tell."

Tam rolled his eyes and sat up to lean back in his chair. "Could we please just leave it at the fact that I just don't want to have Jacen Solo, a.k.a. the man who nearly ruined the galaxy years ago, along with that disgusting Vong freak and a Force-forsaken Hutt coming over to our grashal to eat our food."

"They're not eating all of our food, Tam," Danni said, leaning in across the table so she could better fix her gave at her paramour. "It's just for the night. And don't forget, they're all from different realities, so they really aren't the same people that we knew. Well, Jacen anyway, I doubt either of us knew Onimi or Randa before today. But in either case, I want you to drop your unease over this matter, okay?"

Tam opened his mouth to protest, most likely to question Danni's decision to believe in Jacen's story, but instead looked down at the table, closed his eyes, then looked back up into Danni's gaze again. "All right, I'll try."

Danni's eyebrow lifted. "You know, Master Luke Skywalker said that his Master Yoda told him to 'try not; do or do not. There is no try.' You think you can make a better commitment than that, Tam?"

Tam caught himself from wincing before he said, "For you, I'll do it."

"Do what again?" Danni asked, making sure that her deal with Tam was full-proof.

Tam sighed. "I'll drop my unease over Jacen Solo for the night."

"For the night?" Danni asked.

"Danni, I love you, but don't push this," Tam said as politely as he could. "I can't make any promises beyond tonight. After tonight... we'll see how this goes."

Danni nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Fair enough. So we'll drop this for the rest of the night. But unless you let go of your amnesty to Jacen forever, we're going to be talking about what else is bothering you about this."

"What do you mean?" Tam asked.

"You know, the thing where you said, 'Could we please just leave it at I don't want to have Jacen, that disgusting Vong freak, and a Hutt here eating our food,'" Danni reminded him, doing her best impression of her lover as she could make out.

"Oh, yeah, that," Tam said in an annoyed tone. "Well, either way, you really suck at doing an impression of me."

A few knocks at the door of the grashal cut off Danni's reply.

"It's them," she said as she stood up from her seat. "C'mon, stand up, we gotta greet 'em."

"Do I have to stand up?" Tam asked, annoyed.

"Yes, you have to," Danni intoned.

Tam silently groaned as he pushed himself up and out of his organic chair while Danni went to get the door. She stopped halfway and turned back to say, "And we're going to have a talk about that 'Vong freak' comment."

Tam nodded, then made a face indicating his displeasure at needing to have another talk with Danni about one of his vices.

"I saw that with the Force, you know," Danni called back.

Tam's face narrowed down to one of defeat before Danni even opened the door.

"Hey, Jacen!" she said, giving the smiling young man a hug, which he easily reciprocated, before they pulled back from each other. "You made it just in time! Come in, come in!"

Tam watched with masked amnesty as Jacen and his Yuuzhan Vong and Hutt friends also entered the grashal.

"Thanks, Danni," Jacen said as Danni closed the door after Randa, the last one of the trio, entered the grashal. "My friends, Onimi and Randa, here, along with me, really appreciate this. We could never turn down a free meal." He laughed with Danni at that, while everyone else remained silent.

"Well, dinner's all ready, so if you just follow me, I'll lead you to your seats," Danni said as she began guiding her trio of guests to the dining area of the grashal.

"Thanks," Jacen replied as he and his friends cooperated.

After everyone was seated, including Danni, she said, "Well, let's not waste anymore time. Dig in, everyone."

"Do not mind if I do," Randa said as he licked his lips with his fat, bloated tongue as he eyed the meal before him. He didn't hesitate a second as he chowed down.

"I'll bet you like that one, Randa," Danni said to the Hutt. "I didn't think Zonama had enough harvest to settle the stomach of a single Hutt, no offense, but as Magister, it was surprisingly easy to find a meal that was adequate enough to sate your appetite."

By the time Danni finished speaking that sentence, Randa was almost halfway done his meal. He swallowed before speaking, a trait not often seen in a Hutt. "And you have succeeded magnificently, Magister Quee," he complimented. "Thank you for your generosity."

"My pleasure," Danni nodded with a sincere smile and tone before shifting her attention to the deformed Yuuzhan Vong at the table. "So how are you enjoying your meal, Onimi?"

"It is good," Onimi said in between bites. "It is a rarity among the Yuuzhan Vong, at least in my reality, to indulge in anything with the barest amount of flavor; and even then, it is for those in the highest of the elite, such as Supreme Overlords and Warmasters, and only then in celebration over a great victory or some other event worth toasting to. It feels like a privilege to delight in such sustenance for more than the sake of mere survival."

"Well, here on Zonama, Onimi, you can cultivate your own foods that you can enjoy for yourself, as your people here are doing," Danni said. "It is no longer a privilege, but a right, that Sekot herself has demanded that all Yuuzhan Vong in La'okio and in other villages on Zonama must have."

"Well, either way, this is an occasion I will most definitely remember on your behalf, Magister Quee," Onimi said with a smile that wasn't all that creepy on his deformed face. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Danni said with the same amount of sincerity as she showed Randa. She then turned to the final guest. "And how are you enjoying your food, Jacen?"

"Oh, it's delicious," Jacen said. "Like Randa and Onimi said, thanks for this."

"You know, I also had a hand in making this food," Tam intoned. "And no one seemed to thank me."

"Oh, well, we didn't know, Tam," Jacen said. "Thanks to you, as well."

"You're welcome," Tam said, his tone unwavering. "But I think we should let Randa and Onimi thank me on their own behalf, Jacen."

By now, Randa had completely finished his own meal and let out a loud belch. "Excuse me," he said. "You may take that as your thank you, Tam Elgrin."

Tam narrowed his eyes at Randa's inadvertent rudeness before turning to Onimi. "What about you, Vong? You gonna thank me?"

"Vong?" Onimi asked in a slightly menacing tone.

"Tam, don't do this," Danni demanded quietly.

"No, no, Danni, I want to hear Onimi thank me," Tam said. "I want to hear his own special way of thanking me. After all, we heard Jacen and Randa's thank-yous." He then looked at the Hutt. "By the way, Randa, I really do appreciate your gratitude for the food that Danni and I put so much time into today." His voice dripped with sarcasm before he turned back to Onimi. "Well, how about it, Vong?"

Danni bit her lip, as she knew what would happen next. Randa seemed to back away a couple of inches from the table, and Jacen's expression remained stoic and impassive while Onimi's own expression began to mask the severity of his visage.

"Onimi, don't get caught up in this," Jacen warned his friend.

"Jacen," Onimi said, looking at his human comrade.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Yes, Jacen, why don't you do all of us a favor, shut up, and stay out of this," Tam said.

"Tam," Danni said impatiently, trying to get his attention.

"Not now, honey," Tam said, although it didn't sound any less rude than Onimi's "Shut up," to Jacen. "Now, Vong, I believe you were about to thank me?"

"No, not really," Onimi said.

"Oh? And why is that?" Tam asked sardonically.

"Because if you want a thank-you from me, you're going to have to apologize first for calling me a Vong."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because it is an insult among my culture; it is indicative of saying that a Yuuzhan Vong is no longer a person."

"You mean like a Shamed One?" Tam asked.

"Yes, very much so," Onimi said. "And given that you have lived among my people in this reality for quite some time now, at least that's what I assume..."

"Oh, don't assume anything," Tam interrupted. "For your information, I have lived here for several months now, so yes, I am quite familiar with your people here."

"Then you already know that my people don't take to being called Vong," Onimi said.

"Because, like you said, it implies that they're Shamed Ones," Tam said.

"Pretty much, yes," Onimi said.

"Well, isn't that what you are already?" Tam asked. "A disgusting, ugly, deformed Shamed One?"

"Tam, that's enough," Danni said.

Onimi then abruptly stood up from the table, enraged, and Tam did, as well, also suitably angered. Jacen followed suit, but turned to the Yuuzhan Vong with patience. "Onimi, calm down. Violence isn't going to solve anything here."

"Stay out of this, Solo," Tam intoned. "You did enough trying to get your way with the galaxy three years ago, you're not getting your way here on Zonama."

"Tam, you're making a big mistake here," Danni said. "Now sit down."

"Later, Danni," Tam said. "After the Vong and I have resolved our differences."

"Onimi, don't do this," Jacen warned his friend.

"I can take him, Jacen, you know I can," Onimi said.

"I'm all too aware of that, which is why you need to keep your cool, man," Jacen said. "He's instigating you, don't you see that?"

"And I'm supposed to just let him walk away with all that?" Onimi asked.

"Yes, you are," Jacen nodded affirmatively. "Or you can end up in very big trouble. It's not worth it." He then nodded his head back at Tam. "He's not worth it."

"What did you say about me, Solo?" Tam asked.

"Tam, please stop this," Danni begged.

But Tam ignored her. Instead, he walked around the table and headed toward Jacen. "You know, I don't think I want a thank-you from Onimi anymore. Instead, I want an apology from you for saying I'm not worth it, Darth Caedus."

Jacen's eyes shot up in anger at that. "What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me, Darth Caedus," Tam said right in Jacen's face.

"Enough of this," Danni said, interposing herself between her lover and Jacen. "Stop this, Tam. I'm not asking anymore."

"You know, Danni, I think that's all right," Jacen said, barely containing his anger over what Tam just called him. "I think Randa, Onimi, and I should all just go now. What do you think, guys?"

"I am ready and willing when you are, Jacen," Randa said.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Onimi said.

"Oh, good, you go when everyone wants you to," Tam said. "A first time for everything, eh?"

Danni fully turned to her lover and slapped him across the face. "I said enough. That means enough, Tam."

Tam then looked back down at Danni. "If you insist, honey," he said with an expressionless tone.

And with that, Jacen, Onimi, and Randa left the grashal.

"You promised me you would let your amnesty of Jacen and his friends go," Danni said after their guests were gone.

"I know, I did," Tam said, ashamed.

"Then what the hell was that?" Danni asked.

Tam sighed. "I don't know."

Danni was silent for a moment before she said, "I want you to leave this grashal tonight. Don't come back until Sekot appears to you as me. Only then will you know I've forgiven you."

"Oh, c'mon, Danni..."

"Don't 'Oh, c'mon, Danni' me, Tam. Gather your belongings and leave. Just leave."

Tam's nostrils flared, but that was all the defiance he offered before he acquiesced to Danni's demand and left.

~o~

"Well, I must say, after tonight's festivities, I can positively say, without a speck of doubt, that I have seen brutal massacres on my clan's part back in my home reality that were less grueling to sit through than that dinner," Randa said as he, Jacen, and Onimi walked through the village of La'okio in the dead of night back to their grashal.

"Shut up, Randa," Onimi said.

"Yes, I figured that would be your reaction, Onimi," Randa said sardonically.

"C'mon, Randa, you're exaggerating about the comparison," Jacen said.

"Well, yes, I am, but my point still holds that that was a pretty bad dinner on account of Mr. Tam Elgrin," Randa said.

"I think we can all agree on that," Jacen said.

"You know, I didn't have to kill him to make him pay, Jacen," Onimi said.

"Let it go, Onimi," Jacen said.

"A good beating would have sufficed," Onimi said. "After I gave him a diluted concentration of my inner toxins. Sekot would have been on my side on this."

"I somehow doubt that, even with Tam being such a hard case," Jacen said.

"Yeah, if you think so," Onimi said sarcastically.


	10. Chapter 10

Return: Chapter 10

Nom Anor awoke to the sound of a slight organic creek of the door to his quarters. His one eye open and alert, he instantly sat up in his cot and saw a shadowed figure, wrapped in the darkness of the night, at the open doorway. The figure stood still there for a moment before rushing Nom Anor.

The former Prefect of Yuuzhan'tar immediately swung out of bed and scurried for his cabinet at the closest corner of the room. He hurriedly opened the topmost drawer and took out an implement by its handle; his trusty garden dagger that Sekot didn't seem to mind him keeping, especially with attacks like these occurring upon him. Without hesitation, he took out the dagger and swung it at his attacker. The mysterious figure ducked beneath the slash, but Nom Anor didn't lose momentum as he knelt his attacker up the jaw amidst the latter's dodge.

The figure stumbled back from the blow, and Nom Anor took advantage of the moment. He punched his free hand across the attacker's face just to make sure he would have a harder time recovering before the former Prefect thrust his dagger at the figure's chest. But in lieu of impaling the attacker, the blade glanced off, as if hitting armor. Two seconds later, the attacker recovered from the hit across the face and yanked the dagger out of Nom Anor's hand. Acting with instinct, with the knowledge that his attacker had his most valuable weapon, Nom Anor actually punched his attacker's weapon hand and sent it skittering somewhere in the room.

The attacker then tackled Nom Anor back against the wall behind him, pinning him there by holding up his wrists. But the former Prefect then headbutted the figure before kicking his opponent in his left knee, nearly crippling him as the latter stumbled back again. Nom Anor then tackled his foe down to the ground on his back, but the other Yuuzhan Vong began to wrestle his opponent as he soon got Nom Anor on his back. The figure then wasted no time as he began punching his victim in the face repeatedly.

But even in the blows, as the attacker began tiring from giving out all the blows, Nom Anor had just enough time to avoid one of the blows to his face, resulting in the attacker smacking his hand against the hard floor of Nom Anor's quarters. The proper occupant of the room then grabbed that hand with both of his arms, wrapping it up in his grip, and used his own momentum to roll his opponent back onto his back. Nom Anor then gave his foe three punches to the face before pushing off of him and stomping him in the head before rushing for the room's illumination switch.

When the room was illuminated, Nom Anor saw that his attacker, who was currently pushing himself to his feet, was Maal Lah.

_Great_, Nom Anor managed to think, _another relative of Tsavong._

That was all Nom Anor had to think before Maal Lah began rushing up to him again with a warrior's battle cry. The former Prefect ducked out of the way to his left and scurried for his dagger, which, thanks to the room's lights, he could see was in a corner of the room. He jumped the last meter and landed on his belly to grab its handle before rolling onto his back and kicking out both feet against Lah's chest. Maal stumbled back a couple of steps, but otherwise, he wasn't even winded.

_Armor_, Nom Anor realized as he pushed himself up to one leg. _I wonder where he got that from on this planet_.

Before Nom Anor could fully stand up, however, Lah kicked him up the jaw and sent the former Prefect stumbling back, albeit dagger still in hand. When the latter recovered, he moved to strike at Lah's face with his blade, but the former warrior grabbed Nom Anor's weapon wrist, and the two of them then struggled in place as they began wrestling each other for ownership of the dagger.

Eventually, Nom Anor broke the struggle as he shoved against Lah, and the two of them were sent scurrying over to a nearby window. They began to spin each other around before the virtual dance ended with Nom Anor tripping back against the window and falling through it. But he still had a grip on Lah, so the former warrior joined him in the descent, during which they both lost the dagger.

In the short few seconds afforded to him within that fall, Nom Anor managed to wrestle Lah so that he could act as his shield against the impact of the ground. The move worked, and it was Lah who cushioned the blow upon landing with Nom Anor on top of him.

Nom Anor then took a moment to himself before he pushed himself off of Lah's form, and his one eye widened as he saw that his opponent's face was impaled by the blade of his garden dagger from the back of the head; it looked as if the blade had acted as a new nose for the now-dead Yuuzhan Vong.

The former Prefect then looked around, and immediately saw Jacen Solo, Onimi, and a Hutt, whom he recognized as Randa Besadii Diori-he guessed that this Randa was also from another reality, as he viewed the original Randa's death on Duro by Priestess Vaecta's hand so many years ago-standing there in shock at having witnessed him and Lah fall from his grashal.

"Let me guess," Solo said. "Yet another former warrior out to get you?"

"Do I even need to confirm that?" Nom Anor retorted.

"It doesn't seem like it's safe when you're living alone then, Nommy," Onimi said. "Wanna live with us from now on?"

"What?" Jacen, Randa, and Nom Anor all asked in unison.

"Yeah, sure, I can take the couch, and with my Force-Yuuzhan Vong senses, I can sense if anyone is invading, and Nom Anor can take my place with Jacen in our quarters," Onimi said. "What do you think, Jacen?"

Jacen looked from Onimi to Nom Anor, then back to Onimi and sighed. "Well, since this seems like a legitimate problem that Nom Anor is facing, Onimi, I guess I could accommodate him."

"Awesome," Onimi said before turning back to Nom Anor. "So you coming with us."

Nom Anor hesitated before saying, "Does this mean I still need to have lunch with you tomorrow?"

"And breakfast and dinner, yes," Onimi said with a nod. "You owe us that much."

"Do I not have a say in this matter?" Randa asked.

"No, you don't," Onimi said.


	11. Chapter 11

Return: Chapter 11

The night was still young, and in the outskirts of Zonama, some distance away from La'okio, Tam walked along as he approached one of the nearby boras forests to live out his exile. That was all Sekot, in Danni's form, told him to do after he left his and Danni's grashal; from that point on, she didn't speak to him. He just marched on for his exile.

As he continued to approach the closest boras forest, he managed to discern a barely-seen shape off in the distance opposite from the forest. He looked and, figuring that he wasn't in any rush to get to the forest, he began to approach this shape. It wasn't long before he was only a few meters from it and found that it was a ship.

Using the light afforded to him by the stars of Zonama's night sky, he managed to get a read on the ship's name: the _Spiceman_.

_Solo's ship_, Tam thought. Not that this would do him any good anyway; the ship was surely locked, and he decided to confirm this for himself by trying to open it up.

But when he tried to open it up, the attempt succeeded, and the boarding ramp was down.

Tam's eyes widened at this turn of events. _How could Solo be so stupid as to keep this unlocked?_

"Maybe because he doesn't need to," a familiar voice said behind him.

Tam swung around to find Danni standing there. "Sekot?" he asked.

The form of Danni nodded. "I must admit, though, that you are correct that it was quite a mistake on Jacen Solo's part to leave his ship unlocked. After all, even though I am perfectly capable of watching over his ship, it was quite irresponsible of him to leave it out for any common thief to steal this vessel."

Tam smirked. "Well, why don't you allow me to teach him a lesson about that?"

"I already know what you have in mind, Tam, and quite frankly, I do not approve," Sekot said.

Tam's face dropped in disappointment. He had the thought of utterly destroying his ship's console, but with Sekot here, that didn't seem like that was going to happen.

"Rest assured, though, I will see to it that Solo will pay for his own idiocy," Sekot said. "As for you, you must continue your exile in the forest over there." She pointed to his original destination.

Tam nodded and began walking back over to where Sekot was pointing.

After he was gone, Sekot turned back to the _Spiceman_ and used the Force to lift its boarding ramp back into place. Then she locked it from the inside, still with the Force and smirking in amusement even after she was done.

~o~

On Korriban, homeworld of the One Sith, Darth Wyyrlok regally entered the throne chamber of his Lord Krayt, who sat contentedly in his large chair at the other end of the room.

"My Lord, I have some news that I knew would interest you," Wyyrlok said once he had knelt a few meters from Krayt.

"Speak, Lord Wyyrlok," Krayt said.

"Our agents within the Galactic Alliance have reported to us that Jacen Solo, better known to the galaxy as Darth Caedus, has been discovered to be alive," Wyyrlok explained.

"I know," Krayt said. "I have sensed it in the Force. His return was a powerful event, but subtle enough for only the most powerful of Force-sensitives, such as myself, to have felt it."

"Oh," Wyyrlok said, caught off guard. "Then may I ask why you have not informed the rest of the One Sith, My Lord?"

"I have been biding my time, searching the galaxy through the Force to find out where he would be while your agents have been confirming their information about Solo's false moniker, Captain Jaken Kollo of the _Spiceman_, from his voice recordings with Control Officer Heol Girdun, who had been part of Solo's Galactic Alliance Guard during the Second Galactic Civil War," Krayt informed Wyyrlok. "You were wise to have a disgruntled, dissatisfied Girdun inducted as a non-Force-sensitive agent after Natasi Daala's first year as the Galactic Alliance's Chief of State, Wyyrlok; otherwise, he would have informed his false Alliance superiors rather than us."

"Well, then, what do you recommend we do now, My Lord?" Wyyrlok asked.

"Solo is on the living world of Zonama Sekot," Krayt told his subordinate. "It will take an army of the One Sith to kill him and that world."

"Kill him and the living world, My Lord?" Wyyrlok asked. "You are sure we cannot bring them on our side? After all, Solo was a Sith Lord..."

"I am quite sure that neither Solo nor Sekot will join us, Wyyrlok," Krayt said sternly. "Solo became a Sith Lord for self-righteous reasons anyway. We have no choice but to kill him. We must assemble an army immediately."


	12. Chapter 12

Return: Chapter 12

At the topmost branch of the boras that he climbed, which was several meters from the ground below him, Tam managed to reach out and pick the green piece of fruit that he knew would sate him for the next three hours or so. But just as he was looking up it with a mixed sense of triumph and anticipation of consuming it, he heard footsteps nearby. He snapped out of his reverie and looked in the direction of the footsteps below and ahead of him, looking past the body of the tree that was in his line of sight. None of the approaching figures saw him up at the branch he was standing on.

But when Tam saw who the figures were, he immediately ducked behind the tree and flattened himself back against the tree to hide himself.  
Bothans! he thought. How'd they get out of their village? There were half a dozen of those guys, and Tam knew that they would no doubt try to head to one of the Yuuzhan Vong villages, most likely La'okio, in order to kill as many of the Vong as they could. And while he didn't particularly care for the Yuuzhan Vong, Tam knew that he still had to stop these Bothans, because they would be going after a species that had long ago foregone war... though he was curious as to why Sekot wouldn't take care of the escaped Bothans. And there was still the question as to how they managed to escape in the first place...

Tam thought no more on the matter as the branch beneath his feet began creaking. His eyes widened in terror when he saw that it was going to snap. He reached out frantically for another branch, but it was too late. The branch he stood on broke off from the main body of the tree, and less than a second later, he joined it in its several-meter descent to the ground.

He landed feetfirst hard against the ground, the rest of his body collapsing with it and the fruit that he held rolling out of his hand. A few seconds later, he began pushing himself up to his feet, his entire body aching from the crash he just experienced, when he heard a rough and gruff voice come some distance away from the other side of the tree call, "Over there! Get him!"

As soon as Tam heard those words and the subsequent running footsteps heading for his direction, he felt a sudden bout of adrenaline run through his painful form as he used one hand to grab the branch that fell with him and the other to push him the rest of the way up to his feet. He then wielded the branch like a bat and swung out all the way to his left, knocking three Bothans away and sending them flying back a few meters. They were unconscious before they hit the ground.

Tam then swung out in the opposite direction. The incoming Bothan ducked beneath the swing, but his fellow behind him didn't have time to react as the branch struck him across the torso. He flew off to the side and landed unconscious against the ground.

Meanwhile, though, the Bothan that Tam missed managed to tackle the human against the ground. But the latter managed to swing the branch that was still in his hands down upon the head of the Bothan who attacked him, immediately knocking him unconscious. He then threw the branch towards the remaining conscious Bothan before he began shoving the one he knocked out off of him.

The remaining Bothan stumbled back as he caught the branch, and by the time he recovered, Tam managed to get the penultimate Bothan off of him. Tam's final opponent decided to do what the human did and throw the branch back at him. But Tam managed to kick out both feet and send the branch flying back against the wolf-like humanoid, catching him offguard this time as it struck him full-on in the torso and knocking him unconscious as he hit the ground.  
With all six Bothans unconscious, Tam leisurely picked himself up and then watched as the form of Danni manifested herself before him. Obviously, Sekot had something to say to him.

"I must say, I am impressed with how you were able to dispatch these Bothans, Tam," Sekot commented. "Unfortunately, your exile will have to continue its course."

"What do you mean?" Tam asked, confused by Sekot's statement.

Sekot didn't answer. Instead, the unconscious Bothans were lifted into the air-most likely by Sekot's Force powers-and the form of Danni began to disappear.

And suddenly, it clicked in with Tam. "Was this a test?" he asked.

By then, though, the form of Danni had completely disappeared. Two seconds later, the Bothans were floated away back to the direction of the village that they escaped. Tam was then left with the thought that perhaps Sekot deliberately allowed for the Bothans to escape so that when he confronted them and stopped them from reaching La'okio or some other Yuuzhan Vong village, how he handled the situation was what determined whether or not Tam was worthy to return to Danni.

That was the only thought that came to his mind regarding Sekot's motives.

Regardless, Tam just shrugged in acceptance of his failure and moved to grab the fruit that he dropped.


	13. Chapter 13

Return: Chapter 13

Now that they were done their cultivating chores out in the gardens of La'okio, Jacen, Onimi, Randa, and Nom Anor all decided to head back home for lunch, idly chatting along the way.

"You know, Jacen, I was thinking," Onimi said. "From what you told me of how you killed the version of myself back in your reality..."

"Oh, no, could we please not go there, Onimi?" Jacen asked.

"No, no, I'm just asking a simple question," Onimi said. "Well, actually, now that I really think about it, it isn't so simple, but trust me, I'm not going to intentionally piss you off, if that's what you're worried about."

"All right, ask away," Jacen allowed reluctantly.

"From what you told me of that encounter, what would have happened had you failed to attain oneness with the Force?" Onimi asked.

"Well, I assume that the galaxy would have been screwed over," Jacen answered.

"Yeah, okay, but how?" Onimi asked. "I mean, when you really think about it, I seriously doubt that my alternate self back in your reality could have possibly become a god and wipe out all life in the galaxy."

"Well, the Force spoke to me, so I assumed that it must've been important that I defeated you," Jacen said.

"Right, right," Onimi nodded. "But let's assume for the moment that you failed, all right? And the question of whether or not I could have brought about something like the end of the galaxy was hazy. And by that, I mean that there's still a chance I could be defeated without you having to kill me to do it. Now, with all that in mind, and given what you told me, wouldn't your death make your mother, who was there at the time, want to kill me? She had a lightsaber, right?"

Jacen then made a face of realization. "Oh, yeah, there's that. And failing that, my dad could have shot you with his blaster. Or my sister could have cleansed herself of the toxin that you, and by that I mean your alternate self that I killed, and try to off you herself."

"And even assuming that I managed to kill all of them, and Nom Anor who was also there, what's there to stop your aunt Mara from coming after me with a few X-wings to blast me into oblivion?" Onimi said. "That, and the fact that I'm flying the evacuation ship of the Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong, whose death could bring about the end of the war. I mean, yes, I know that that vessel is pretty durable, but against firepower like the Galactic Alliance's, there's a limit there, Jacen. And I wouldn't be able to concentrate on controlling so many Yuuzhan Vong minds in combat when I'm busy trying to save my own ass. And aren't you Jedi able to use that battle meditation thing where you can control others' minds to make them more effective in combat? With your aunt controlling so many GA minds, my ass would've been smoked even if the Yuuzhan Vong did their best to defend me, because even with enough yammosks, they wouldn't be able to beat back that kind of power!"

"Well, maybe there was too much of a chance that you would have made it out somehow," Jacen said. "I guess we'll never know."

Then a look of epiphany appeared in Onimi's eyes. "Or maybe we can." He then looked expectantly to Jacen.

Jacen looked back with confusion before realizing what his Yuuzhan Vong friend was thinking. "You want to transport us to a reality where you did win, didn't you? Just to see what would have happened."

"Bingo," Onimi said before turning to Randa and Nom Anor. "And you two will be coming with us."

"What?" Randa and Nom Anor asked in unison.

"Wait, wait, wait, I didn't agree to this yet, Onimi," Jacen said. "Tell me why I should, first of all."

"Aren't you curious as to what would have happened?" Onimi asked.

"Honestly, I don't want to see what kind of horrors you would have committed had you won," Jacen said. "No offense."

"None taken," Onimi said. "But you know, that just raises another question. Even if I somehow survived the rest of your family coming after my ass, along with the Galactic Alliance, how would I have taken over the Yuuzhan Vong fleet with Shimrra dead? Surely, I couldn't have been that strong with my abilities... Could I?"

Jacen's face then fell into contemplation. "As tempting as it is to see what would happen, the horror of thinking about it vastly outweighs that temptation. Sorry, Onimi, but no, we're not going into such a reality. Plus, I wouldn't know how long we would even be trapped in that reality portal!"

"And why would you include me in this?" Nom Anor asked.

"Or me? What makes you think I want to go back through that tunnel at all?" Randa asked.

"Because Nom Anor will probably get killed here without the protection of either Jacen or I," Onimi said. "And I highly doubt that Randa would be able to handle the job well."

"Gee, thanks," Randa replied sarcastically.

"C'mon, Jacen, please?" Onimi begged. "Don't make me go on my knees for this, man, because I'm willing to go that far."

Jacen looked perplexedly at Onimi. "You mean going on your knees to beg is going far for you?"

"Oh, not begging, I meant sucking your-"

"Okay, okay," Jacen interrupted with an upraised hand. "If I do this, will you not suck my... well, you know?"

"Your toes?" Onimi asked. "Why would you be all that weirded out with me sucking your toes?"

"My toes?" Jacen asked. "No, I was thinking... you know, I am weirded out by the thought of you sucking my toes alone. Okay, I guess we could go this reality."

"Awesome!" Onimi exclaimed, pounding his fists in the air while Randa and Nom Anor groaned in annoyance over the fact that they would have to travel dimensions with the disgusting Vong.

"But first, we gotta at least be courteous enough to tell Sekot what we're doing," Jacen said. "I'm sure she won't mind, but we have to at least tell her what we're doing."

"Oh, all right," Onimi said, acting like a spoiled child. "We'll have it your way first, Jacen."

"Actually, you may want to postpone your plans, guys," Danni Quee said from ahead of them.

"Is it Sekot?" Randa asked Jacen.

"No, it's Danni," Jacen answered before focusing his attention back on the Magister of Zonama Sekot. "What is it, Magister?"

"Sekot has sensed a great disturbance in the Force coming for Zonama," Danni told them. "It has tried to mask itself, but Sekot had found cracks within its defense to find out its intentions. She asks for your help, Jacen. You have helped bring the Yuuzhan Vong home. Surely you can help us defend them now?"

"Of course," Jacen said without hesitation. "What do you want me to do?"

All the while, Onimi let out a silent noise of annoyance that he didn't get his way.


	14. Chapter 14

Return: Chapter 14

"You wanted to see me, My Lord?" Darth Wyyrlok asked Krayt as he entered the latter's chamber within his capital ship of the One Sith fleet.

"Yes, Lord Wyyrlok, come here and prostrate yourself before me," Krayt, who was seated in his throne, said.

Wyyrlok nodded and approached his human Master, genuflecting at his feet.

"In spite of our efforts to cloak our unified presence against Zonama Sekot, there was a tear, if you will, in that cloak recently," Krayt explained, "that allowed Sekot to sense us. Even though we have mended it, I have sensed that it has sensed that we are coming for it. And when we arrive, it will be ready and prepared to face us, even if it is somewhat haphazardly."

"Well, then, what do you recommend we do, My Lord?" Wyyrlok inquired.

"We stop our travel," Krayt said.

Wyyrlok looked at his Master in shock. "I beg your pardon, My Lord?"

"I doubt that the tear in our cloak was an accident, Lord Wyyrlok," Krayt said. "When I sensed Sekot sense us through that tear, I also simultaneously managed to recognize that there was an order in what had occurred, as if it were deliberate. I do believe, Wyyrlok, that we have a spy in our midst. A Jedi spy, no less. We cannot return to Korriban, for there could be an army of Jedi there waiting for us if my theory of at least one Jedi spy is correct; such a spy would be able to inform his or her superiors, like Luke Skywalker, about where we are, if that spy doesn't already know where we are. And we cannot continue forward because, like I said, we would be facing a living planet that, at best, would be ready to confront us. So the best we could do is stop and launch a secret investigation as to who this spy could be."

"A secret investigation?" Wyyrlok asked.

"If we make the investigation public, the Jedi will be able to easily elude us," Krayt said. "We need to make sure that he or she, or even they, will not notice what we are planning."

"Then what am I supposed to tell the rest of the fleet?" Wyyrlok asked.

Krayt looked at Wyyrlok with a look of annoyance. "Do you really think the loyalty of the One Sith's members were to be dangerously diluted, Lord Wyyrlok, if I were not to give an answer? I'm sure they would understand that it will be for some reason."

"But wouldn't the Jedi spy be suspicious?" Wyyrlok asked.

"That is the best we can hope for in this situation, Wyyrlok," Krayt said. "Hopefully, we can eliminate the mole, or moles, in this organization before it is too late."

"But what about Sekot?" Wyyrlok asked. "Even with our staling of this travel, it still knows about us, and that we are still coming for it."

"Ah, yes, Sekot, that is something I will need to contemplate," Krayt said. "Thank you for bringing that up, Lord Wyyrlok. Now, onto the investigation. Here will be the members that I know we can trust to enact this mission..."

~o~

Seha Dorvald, Jedi spy of the One Sith now in the quarters of the One Sith's capital ship, listened carefully to the conversation unfold between Darths Krayt and Wyyrlok in the former's throne room. She had managed to sneak a small radio listener beneath Krayt's throne during her cleaning of the room as part of the maintenance team prior to the launch of the fleet for Zonama Sekot.

And during her listening of the exchange, she relayed the entire conversation in a private, encrypted transmission to a Jedi receiving the information on Shedu Maad. When the conversation between Krayt and Wyyrlok was over, and Wyyrlok had left the room and Krayt was left to sit and contemplate on his throne, Seha removed her headset from the exchange and took out her portable comm. She then felt through the Force that the entire One Sith fleet dropped out of hyperspace, meaning that the investigation for her was on.

"Doran, come in, this is Seha, over," she said after activating her comm.

"I'm reading you loud and clear, Seha," Doran Sarkin-Tainer's voice came on the other end. "What's up?"

"Darth Krayt knows that there's at least one spy here, and I already recorded all the names of the members who'll be part of the private investigation party," Seha explained. "We already dropped out of hyperspace, and I know they probably already launched the investigation by now. What do I do?"

"Don't panic," Doran said. "Just get off the line and delete all the info you acquired. We already got all we need here on Shedu Maad. But do it as quickly as possible. Tainer out."

With that, after Doran cut the transmission, Seha went to work to do all that her fellow Jedi just told her to accomplish.

Hopefully, she won't get caught. Maybe she could still be of some use to the Jedi Order after this, and not have her cadaver end up as a message to the Order instead.


	15. Chapter 15

Return: Chapter 15

"Tell me why I have to do this again?" Onimi asked Jacen as the two of them, Randa, and Nom Anor entered their grashal.

"Because if you don't help me out in telepathically assisting with the development of the seedships that will act as the main defense of Zonama Sekot, Onimi, the chances of everyone on this planet, including you, getting screwed, and not in the good way, by this threat, whatever it is, go up," Jacen explained. "You understand."

"Well, given the way you phrased that, not quite," Onimi replied.

"All right, let me put it to you this way," Jacen said. "If you don't help me out in this, whatever's coming for us has a better chance of killing us all. Got it now?"

"All right, yeah, now I get it," Onimi nodded. "So what do we do then?"

"We simply sit down in meditation on the floor and concentrate our minds to the development of those ships," Jacen said as he sat cross-legged on the floor of the grashal's living area. "It's the best we can do, according to what Danni told me."

"Isn't Sekot already overlooking this whole seedship thing?" Onimi asked as he joined Jacen on the floor, crossing his legs in the process.

"Of course she is, that's why we're helping her out," Jacen answered. "Now be quiet, clear your mind, and let the Force flow through you."

"And what should we do?" Randa, still standing next to Nom Anor, asked.

"You can go get whatever you want in the fridge, Randa," Jacen said. "Nom Anor, if someone tries to kill you in your room, don't hesitate to give us a holler."

"I'll keep that in mind," Nom Anor said sarcastically as he and Randa left the living area to leave Jacen and Onimi in peace.

~o~

Although Seha was able to get rid of all the evidence as to the fact that she was a spy within the One Sith, she knew that her time among them was running out. So far, none of the spies assigned to find the mole within their order, among all the ships in the fleet, were able to find out who she was, and her disguise as a fellow dark sider had not slipped; unlike the tear in the fabric of the unified cloak meant to disguise the One Sith's incoming presence to Zonama Sekot.

She needed to find a way out of here now. The entire Jedi Order now knew that the One Sith's home base was on Korriban, and Sekot herself knew that there was something coming for her. And while Seha was curious to find out how Darth Krayt was going to try to catch the consciousness of the living world off guard, the fact of the matter remained that there was no point in her staying and risking her own life among the Sith. The Jedi had all the information they needed about the One Sith, and it was time for her to leave.

The fleet was still out of hyperspace in an empty star system. The investigation as to who the mole could be was coming to its end, and if Seha didn't leave now, she had a feeling she'd have no choice but to join the invasion team for Zonama Sekot. So she decided to do the most straightforward thing possible; leave through one of the escape pods. And if she knew Doran Sarkin-Tainer, he should drop out of hyperspace any moment in a shuttle like a Skipray Blastboat to save her hide.

Several minutes after leaving her room, Seha passed by several dozens of Sith wandering the hallways of Darth Krayt's capital vessel when, halfway through the corridor that she knew would lead her to the escape pods, she heard a familiar female voice call out from behind her, "Hey! You! Stop!"

Seha swiveled around and saw a face she never hoped to see here.

Vestara Khai.

Without hesitation, Seha swung back around and made a mad dash for the escape pods. Almost all of the Sith she passed by looked at her with confusion and perplexity as she ran before Khai called out, "Get her! She's a Jedi!"

From then on, with only eight Sith before the escape pods, every one of them ahead and behind her had already taken out and activated their crimson red lightsabers. Seha did the same with her saber without a second thought and she charged headlong towards a female Falleen off to her left. She engaged in a few clashes against the Fallen Sith before quickly disengaging to duck beneath the swing of the male Trandoshan Sith that decided to assist his brethren. Seha then leaped into the air, sailed above the Falleen and Trandoshan, and managed to decapitate two more of the Sith along the way. By the time she hit the ground, she cut out the legs of two more Sith ahead of her before coming up and impaling the Wookiee Sith in front of her in a surprise attack. She then swung to her right, traded a few blows with the male green-skinned Twi'lek Sith there before overcoming his defenses and cutting him in half by the waist.

With no more Sith in her way for the escape pods, she rushed for it and pressed the emergency button to open it up in less than a second. Seha swung back and unleashed a Force wave from her free hand that blew back the incoming wall of Sith that were pursuing her from the corridor. The wave blew them back and sent the foremost of them stumbling back against their brethren. As they recovered, Seha wasted no time entering the pod as Sith from her left and right began charging for her. She quickly closed it, locked it, sealed it against the vacuum of space, and soon, her pod was free from the ship.

And as soon as she was free, a Skipray Blastboat emerged from hyperspace several hundred miles away, and was racing in for her.

_Doran_, Seha sent through the Force happily. _I knew you wouldn't let me down._

_Hey, we're not out of this yet, sweetheart,_ Doran sent back.

~o~

_You are allowed to see him, you know,_ the voice of Sekot spoke through Danni's mind as she meditated on the floor of her grashal's living area.

_What?_ Danni asked.

_You still harbor deep feelings for Jacen Solo, Danni. I do not blame you. You may go and see him._

_But what about the seedships?_

_I am more than able to look over the development of the seedship starfighters in your absence, Danni,_ Sekot sent back. _And without Jacen's help eit__her. I just wanted some extra help. I am quite sure I can do this by myself._

_But what about Tam?_

_I have tested, Tam, for his worthiness of returning to La'okio soon. While he has successfully defeated the Bothans that I allowed to escape from their village, and while he did have the intention of stopping them, he did not act on it. Instead, he only reacted to save his own life. He had originally hid, you know, before he confronted the Bothans._

_Well, was he thinking up a strategy?_ Danni asked. _Hiding doesn't necessarily mean cowardice. You would know that more than anyone else, I believe._

_Oh, I'm quite aware_, Sekot replied with a fairly lighthearted tone before reverting back to her serious, solemn tone. _And Tam was trying to think of a way to defeat the Bothans. __But since that did not necessarily come to fruition, I have to say that I do not believe that Tam is ready._

_Well, that seems unfair to him_, Danni commented.

_I am not saying that he does not have the heart of a hero. But even so, he has only reacted instead of acting, just as he did with Jacen._

_So what are you saying?_ Danni asked. _That it's okay for me to... be with Jacen while Tam is gone? I highly doubt that even after he proves himself, he'll believe it's okay that I'll be seeing another man. And even so, I still can't do that to Tam, I still love him._

_I wouldn't expect that of him either, to be fair_, Sekot said. _But I do not believe that you were meant to be with Tam anyway._

_Really?_ Danni asked. _And why is that?_

_I do not necessarily need to provide an answer to your question. All I have to ask is: Who do you truly love? Or who do you love more? Jacen or Tam?_


	16. Chapter 16

Return: Chapter 16

Darth Krayt marched onto the bridge of his capital ship with a determined scowl and Wyyrlok trailing behind him like a wraith. He set himself in his command chair and watched for a few seconds as the gunners of the ship tried to destroy the maneuvering Skipray Blastboat and the escape pod with the Jedi infiltrator in it.

"No, no, don't try to destroy them, you fools!" Krayt exclaimed. "We need them alive, especially the Jedi infiltrator! We need to find out how much they know of the One Sith! Get a tractor beam on them!"

"We've been trying, My Lord!" a Sith at one of the consoles said. "But for some reason, they can still get away, and it's not because of their maneuvering!"

"Lord Krayt!" another Sith at a different console called up. "I'm picking up a weird frequency coming from the Blastboat. It is emitting some kind of radio wave that is jamming our tractor beam!"

"Jedi," Krayt spat. "They must have finally found a way to jam tractor beams. They're quite inventive with their technology ever since the Yuuzhan Vong, I'll give them that."

"What should we do, My Lord?" Wyyrlok asked from behind Krayt.

"Target their engines and hyperdrives, but don't try to destroy them!" Krayt ordered to no one in particular. "Or if you can't even do that, then will someone go out there and place a tracking beacon on at least either of those ships? We can't afford to let them get away!"

"Yes, My Lord," one of the Sith responded.

~o~

"I'm coming up on your rear, Doran," Seha said in her commlink as she continued to deftly maneuver her escape pod amidst the laser beams firing at them from the One Sith fleet.

"Sure you don't wanna buy me dinner first?" Doran replied in a snark tone.

"Very funny, Tainer," Seha replied, coming up to the rear of the Blastboat.

Them, all of a sudden, all of the vessels in the fleet stopped firing.

"Uh, what just happened?" Seha asked.

"Um, I think those ships over there are what's going to happen," Doran said as Seha saw through the viewport of her pod a few outdated starfighters head her and Doran's way.

~o~

Danni knocked on the door of the grashal that Jacen shared with Onimi, Randa, and now Nom Anor. A few seconds later, Jacen opened it up.

"Danni? What's up? I thought you were helping out Sekot with Onimi and I through the Force," Jacen stated.

"Yes, well, do you mind if I talk to you?" Danni asked.

"Well, no, not really, but what about Sekot?" Jacen asked.

"Sekot can take care of the seedship construction on her own," Danni waved away. "She appreciates the help, though, from all three of us."

"Oh," Jacen said. "Well, okay then. I guess you could come in."

"Great, thanks," Danni said with a smile.

When she saw Onimi meditating on the floor, she looked back to Jacen and asked, "Uh, could we talk somewhere little bit more private?"

"Why? What is it?" Jacen asked.

"Jacen, can we please talk in your room?" Danni asked, ignoring his question.

Jacen sighed. "Fine. But should I tell Onimi that he can come out of his meditation first?"

Danni looked back at the meditating Yuuzhan Vong before returning her sight to Jacen. "Actually, it's probably better that he stay like this for a bit longer."

"Well, if you say so," Jacen shrugged. "C'mon." Then he began leading Danni up to his room.

Once they were inside, and Danni closed the door, she looked at her charge and asked him, "Jacen, I don't know how else to ask this, but I have to know: Our encounters from when we knew each other during the war against the Yuuzhan Vong, I knew you felt something for me after we met in Helska Four."

"But you didn't feel the same way, I remember," Jacen said. "It was because I was too young, eh?"

"Very much so," Danni nodded. "But after you came back from your time with Vergere and the Yuuzhan Vong, I saw that you became a man. And during our search for Zonama Sekot, I had grown to have feelings for you just as you did for me."

"But then, after we found Sekot, what we had between each other dropped," Jacen said. "And I understand that. Because we were, and still are, by the way, on a world so filled with life that it is, in fact, alive itself. I could understand how that would pique the scientific curiosity in you."

"And we went on our separate ways," Danni said. "You with your sojourn, me with Sekot. And it was only when I felt that you, that is, your alternate self here in this reality, would become Darth Caedus did I, well... find out how much I truly loved you."

"Oh," Jacen said with widened eyes.

"So, tell me, Jacen, if what you felt about me is still true today."


	17. Chapter 17

Return: Chapter 17

"These guys really suck," Seha commented over her commlink to Doran. "None of them can even shoot someone piloting an escape pod! An escape pod of all things, can you believe this, Doran?!" All the while, she maneuvered her escape pod to avoid the badly-aimed laserfire coming from behind her, still trying to catch up to the Skipray Blastboat that Doran himself was piloting.

"I don't think they're trying to shoot us down, Seha," Doran replied. "I think they're deliberately missing us for some reason."

"You got any idea why?" Seha asked.

"No definite ideas," Doran said. "But I think I got a theory already; I think they're trying to place a tracking beacon on us so that if they lose us when we go to hyperspace, they can follow us back to Shedu Maad. It's the only reason I can think of why they're not actively trying to kill us other than blatant incompetence."

"Well, why can't they just capture us in a tractor beam?" Seha asked next.

"That's my fault," Doran said. "Before I left, I was given something by the Order's tech department, a prototype of a tractor beam jammer. It seems to be working quite well so far since they hadn't already got us yet."

"Okay then," Seha said. "You think we should check for a beacon on either of our hulls before we escape?"

"I just did," Doran said. "Along with yours. We're both clean, but I don't think we should push our luck. Hurry up and get in here. I'm close to going to hyperspace."

"All right, all right, keep your pants on, Doran," Seha said. "I'm coming." She then added flirtatiously, "And then, after we're in hyperspace, then you can take your pants off."

With that, she sped forward for the now-open rear of the Blastboat and entered it. The rear closed upon her arrival.

~o~

A few moments later, the Skipray Blastboat entered hyperspace, and Darth Krayt watched in horror from the bridge of his capital ship while it happened.

"Did we get a tracking beacon on either of those vessels?" he asked a Sith at one of the consoles.

The Sith there, a male human of middle age, quickly turned from Krayt to check something on his console. A moment later, he turned back with a nervous look before saying, "I truly regret to inform you, My Lord, that we have not managed to get a tracking beacon on either of the vessels."

Krayt growled angrily before smacking his fist down against the right arm of his command chair. "Blasted fighter pilots," he muttered to himself. "They all had their chance of firing a fake laser upon either one of the ships, and none of them took it." He then looked back to Darth Wyyrlok. "See to it, Lord Wyyrlok, that the members of that fighter squadron are sent to my throne room so that I could... discuss their performance in the crisis."

Wyyrlok nodded, his non-expressive face belying his understanding of what would happen to all those fighter pilots later on. "Yes, My Lord." He then turned to leave.

Krayt then sat back in his command chair, contemplating what he should do now. With Zonama Sekot aware of the One Sith's impending arrival for it, and the Jedi Order essentially knowledge of their existence, Krayt wondered how he could possibly take over the galaxy with such incompetence at his heel.

~o~

Jacen was caught off guard by Danni's question. His eyes were widened in surprise. "B-b-but I thought you loved Tam."

"I did, once," Danni said. "Or at least I thought I did. But ever since you came back, I realized just how much I still cared for you. I still care for you in a way that, quite frankly, I could never care for Tam. Now I see him as just something to fill the void that you left after I sensed your downfall to the dark side."

"Tam isn't going to like this, you know that," Jacen said.

"I know, and I understand that he won't take it well either," Danni admitted. "But I'll worry about him. For now, though, I wanted to say that I'm sorry I never allowed our relationship to flourish during or after the war, but I love you. Do you still love me?"

Jacen swallowed a lump in his throat. He really had to think about it for a moment. As he and Danni just discussed, he was, in fact, attracted to her during the Yuuzhan Vong War, and they came close to having something during the search for Zonama Sekot. After the war ended, though, and they went their separate ways, Jacen didn't really think much about Danni during his travels throughout the galaxy. Whenever he did think about her, however, he remembered her quite fondly, and was always happy for her that she joined Sekot back in the Unknown Regions.

Since returning to Zonama himself, with the alternate forms of Onimi and Randa, his feelings for Danni did return, even though he wasn't really consciously aware of it. He was still slightly high from the spice that he smoked, and his time immersing himself in the Force since getting off the drugs distracted him from exploring his feelings for Danni. That, and his trouble with Onimi in their friendship, Tam's hostility towards the both of them, and Jacen still wasn't even aware of what he felt for the woman that he had shared a confined, cramped space with after saving her from Helska 4 so many years ago. Sure, he was always comfortable with being around Danni since coming here, but...

But now that she was confronting him about this, he offered a lopsided Solo grin and retorted with, "How 'bout I answer that with this?" He then pulled her into his embrace and gave her a passionate kiss that she gladly reciprocated.


	18. Chapter 18

Return: Chapter 18

Sitting against the bottom of a boras tree, eating a green fruit this time as lunch, Tam swallowed the chunk he was chewing and prepared to take another bite when he stopped himself. He then lowered the fruit and looked ahead, back in the direction of La'okio.

"Danni," he muttered to himself. He didn't know what just happened, or what he was sensing, or even how he was sensing it to begin with, for he knew he didn't have the Force, but he just knew that something was wrong. The only thing he knew for certain about that was that it had something to do with Danni. What it was, he didn't have a clue. Perhaps, with all his time and intimacy with her, he had gained a sort-of-connection to her. Tam wasn't sure if that was possible, but with something like the Force, a living world like Zonama Sekot, and a Jacen Solo from an alternate reality with friends who, in turn, were also from other realities, he guessed anything was possible.

That wasn't at the forefront of his mind for the moment, though. The only thing that concerned Tam now was what happened to Danni. And he was going to find out, one way or another. He then stood up, and, against the will of Sekot, began traveling back to La'okio.

Not once, during his travel, did Sekot ever try to stop him.

~o~

"Hey, Onimi, wake up."

Onimi was literally shaken out of his meditation by his shoulder. He awoke with a start and sent out a small Force wave against the individual who woke him, Randa. The Hutt trailed back a few meters across the living area of their grashal, screaming in terror along the way before he plopped against a wall behind him.

"What the hell did you wake me up for, Randa?" Onimi asked angrily.

"Ow," Randa muttered to himself as he pushed himself off the wall before looking back to Onimi. "I was going to ask you where Jacen was, and why he isn't with you right now."

"What?' Onimi asked before looking to the side he was expecting Jacen to be. He then looked to his other side for good measure before finally looking behind him. Onimi then settled his sight back on Randa. "Okay, he's not here. And I don't know why. He should be helping me help Sekot do that whole ship-building thing."

Onimi and Randa then heard footsteps upstairs, and they looked to the steps to find Nom Anor at the top. "I heard Randa scream," he said. "What is going on?"

"Randa woke me up to ask why Jacen isn't here," Onimi explained. "So I Force-pushed him back against the wall. He didn't like it."

"I wonder where you got that idea from," Randa said sarcastically.

"You got any idea where Jacen is, or even why he isn't here right now, Nommy?" Onimi asked.

"Oh, I think I may have an idea," Nom Anor answered evenly.

~o~

Jacen and Danni, both naked and covered in sheets, lay content in each other's arms, neither of them needing to say a word to each other about what had just commenced between them. As they looked into the other's eyes, neither of them believed that anything could ruin this moment.

Then a loud scream came about and a moment later, they both sat up, looking at each other in worry this time.

"Wasn't that Randa?" Danni asked.

"Yeah," Jacen nodded. "I'll check it out." He moved to get out of bed.

"No, wait," Danni said, stopping Jacen by catching his arm. "Do you sense anymore danger now?"

Jacen stopped and allowed his sense to wander the grashal before confirming for himself that everything was all right. "No," he said, answering Danni's query. "Everything's fine, Randa just woke Onimi from his meditation, and Onimi used a Force wave to shove Randa away. Nothing to be worried about."

"Well, okay, that's good to hear," Danni said for herself as she sighed. "But shouldn't we check it out anyway, you know, to see why Randa woke Onimi? Or how Onimi's taking it?"

Jacen rolled his eyes. "All right, if you insist." Then he got out of bed to begin dressing with Danni.

After they both got dressed and Jacen opened the door, he found Onimi, Randa, and Nom Anor all standing there, with the latter ready to knock before Jacen opened up.

"What's up, guys?" Jacen asked. "I heard Randa scream, is everything all right?" He knew it was, he just wanted to make sure the three of them wouldn't get too questioning.

"I just scared Onimi, that's all," Randa assured.

"Yeah, I was the one who screamed. Right, fatass," Onimi said.

"Anyway," Nom Anor said, ignoring Onimi, "we were wondering why you weren't with Onimi during meditation? What's going on?"

"Umm..." Jacen said.

"It's all right, Jacen," Danni said from behind him. "They can know."

Then looks of comprehension dawned on the faces of Onimi, Randa, and Nom Anor. Onimi, though, nodded with a twisted smile on his lips. "Nice job, Jacen."

Jacen looked at his disgusting Yuuzhan Vong friend with an annoyed look.

"What? It's true," Onimi said. "Didn't you wanna pound her since you were a teenager?"

"Onimi..." Jacen started to say.

"Relax, Jacen," Danni said, still behind him as she wrapped her arms around him. "I take no offense to Onimi's vulgarity. Besides, I think I can handle a little inappropriateness on his part given that we left him to help Sekot, when really, she didn't need any of our help."

"She didn't need any of our help?" Onimi asked. "Then why did you say we had to help her?"

"Because I believed her when she said she needed our help," Danni answered. "But my thoughts kept drifting back to Jacen. So she let me go back to him. We left you to meditate alone so we wouldn't be disturbed."

"How thoughtful of Sekot," Onimi replied sarcastically.

"Well, I'm willing to leave you two alone if you need more time together," Randa said in an awkward tone as he began slithering away back downstairs.

"Thanks, Randa," Jacen nodded with a smile.

"Well, I'll be getting back to my quarters," Nom Anor said, even-handed, before he moved back to his room.

That left Onimi.

He shrugged. "Eh, have fun," he said as he walked away.

With that, Jacen closed the door. And then he and Danni began undressing to commence what Onimi left as parting words.


	19. Chapter 19

Return; Chapter 19

Tam had finally entered La'okio and proceeded through the streets, passing several Yuuzhan Vong along the way, to return to his and Danni's grashal. But once he had ended up on the grashal's doorstep and was about to open the door, a familiar voice stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going, Tam?"

Tam turned to find Danni's form there. Her ethereal glow, however, indicated that it was merely Sekot's astral projection form of Danni instead.

"You know you're not allowed back inside yet," Sekot continued in Danni's voice.

"You didn't seem to object to me returning to La'okio," Tam remarked. "Mind explaining that to me?"

"Well, maybe it's because I wanted you to return to La'okio ahead of time," Sekot replied.

"And why is that, I wonder?" Tam said.

"To return you back to Danni," Sekot said.

Tam looked confused. "But wouldn't she be in here at this time?"

"Not this time," Sekot answered. "Perhaps you'd do better to look elsewhere..." She deliberately trailed off before she disappeared.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Tam hurriedly asked. But by then, it was too late.

Left alone now, Tam thought about where Danni could be at this time instead of her grashal. Then a scary idea popped into his mind. "No," he muttered to himself, fearful of the implications.

And with that, he broke into a run for Jacen Solo's grashal.

~o~

Laying content and naked in bed again with Jacen, Danni's eyes widened in horror as she felt, through the Force, an all-too familiar presence approaching Jacen's grashal at a fast run.

"Danni, what's wrong?" Jacen asked, concerned.

"It's Tam," she answered. "He's coming."

"What?" Jacen asked. "But I thought he was still supposed to be out in one of the boras! Why didn't Sekot stop him?"

"I don't know," Danni said. "But if she hasn't spoken to me about this, then something must be very wrong."

"Well, then, what do we do?" Jacen asked.

Danni thought quickly. Then she looked at Jacen calmly. "Leave him to me. Like I said before, I'll handle this."

"Are you sure?" Jacen asked, still concerned.

Danni nodded. "He has to know. I knew that this would happen, I just didn't expect it to be so soon. And I don't want you to get involved, okay? Tam will be mad enough to know that I turned my back on him, and he's got enough hostility towards you as it is. I don't want to escalate things any worse than they already are with Tam."

Jacen sighed. "Fine. But I'll back you up if you need any help."

Danni made a wry face. "Jacen, I'm the Magister of a living planet. Tam can't harm me even if he wanted to. Besides, I doubt he'd do it anyway even after I told him."

"Well, if you say so," Jacen said in a doubtful tone.

Danni rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Jacen," she said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I'll be fine." Then she got out of bed to get dressed.

~o~

"I must say, Onimi, I really do appreciate your invite to this walk with you," Randa said as he walked down the streets of La'okio with Onimi. "I'm glad that you decided that we need more time together as friends, so we can bond better and get rid of this trivial hatred that you have over me."

"Randa, I don't really hate you," Onimi said patiently. "I only hate you more out of obligation, it's really nothing personal. I'll still hang out with you like I am right now, no problem. I'm just a little irritated that you still don't understand that yet."

"Well, I don't really understand it because it doesn't make a whole lot of sense," Randa said. "I mean, why hate me when you don't really hate me?"

"I told you this before, because you're the straight man between Jacen and I," Onimi explained. "And as such, the straight man in a group is obviously the odd man out, and therefore, must be somewhat ostracized by at least member of the trio. Jacen isn't doing it, therefore, I have to."

"But why?" Randa asked. "It still makes no sense to me. Are you saying that if Jacen were to ostracize me, you would be more supportive of me?"

"Of course, that's exactly the point," Onimi answered.

"But why?" Randa asked. "I still don't get it. It seems quite pointless."

Onimi rolled his eyes at this. "Look, just know that no matter what mean things I say to you, Randa, I still consider us to be good friends, okay?"

"Uh... okay," Randa said.

"Good, now that we've settled that, what else is there to talk about?" Onimi asked.

"You know, I have to wonder, whatever happened to that thing between you and Jacen where he wanted to mend things between you two?" Randa asked.

"Eh, he dropped that ever since he saw Danni Quee again," Onimi said. "Dumbass didn't know it, but he fell in love with her again, pretty much forgetting about the few minor problems I had with him."

"How does he fall in love with her again and not know it?" Randa asked.

"Because he's very preoccupied with immersing himself in the Force here and all," Onimi said. "He doesn't outwardly show it, and he does a good job of making himself appear normal, but I can tell. He'll be paying attention whenever I talk, but otherwise, I doubt he's all there when he's here on this planet."

"We're a weird trio, aren't we?" Randa remarked.

"Pretty much," Onimi said. "But now that Nom Anor's with us, we're not a trio anymore, obviously."

"Does that mean you're going to 'hate him out of obligation,' now that he's the normal one among us?" Randa asked.

"Not really, on account of the fact that I used to be good friends back with him in my home reality," Onimi said. "That, and the fact that you're still more normal than him, since he would kill anyone to ensure his own survival."

"Hmm," Randa said with a slightly disappointed tone. "Speaking of Nom Anor, shouldn't he be with us, since you promised you'd protect him?"

"Ah, I'm sure he'll be fine with Jacen and Danni," Onimi waved away. "Even if they went hardcore in their sex, I think they'd still be able to sense a Yuuzhan Vong entering the grashal to try to kill Nommy."

"Well, if you say so," Randa said. "But wouldn't you want to hang out with him anyway, since you used to be friends with him in your home reality?"

"Eh, I don't really think he's all that comfortable around me yet," Onimi said. "I'm giving him time to warm up to me first."

"Okay, if you think that's what's best," Randa said, shrugging.

It wasn't long before they were coming up to the grashal that they shared with Jacen and Nom Anor. But just as they were approaching it, they found Tam Elgrin running towards them from the other side, sweating and panting heavily from the run.

"You two," Tam said, breathing heavily between his words. "Where... is... Danni?"

"Well, she's..." Onimi started, pointing to the grashal.

"Onimi, no!" Randa said as he quickly redirected his arm away from the living home.

"What's your problem, Randa?" Onimi asked as Tam rushed to the grashal. Then, when the Yuuzhan Vong looked, he said with widened eyes, "Oh."


	20. Chapter 20

Return: Chapter 20

Tam was just about ready to use his more-than substantial size and mass to barge through the organic door that made up the entrance to Jacen Solo's grashal when it opened up from the other side and Tam stopped because of the occupant there.

"Tam," Danni said, her tone belying any emotion she felt at seeing him return. "I didn't know Sekot allowed you to return to La'okio so early."

"Well, she did," Tam said, his own tone belying his frustration over his suspicion that his lover was cheating on him. "And apparently, it's so I can see you."

"Really?" Danni asked. "And why is that?"

Tam sighed, preparing himself for what he was about to ask. "Have you been sleeping with Solo while I've been gone?"

Danni didn't answer for a moment. She hesitated before she said, "Yes."

Tam's nostrils flared. "Where is he?"

"Tam..." Danni said as she tried to stop him from coming in.

But Danni failed as Tam managed to shove his way in and found Jacen standing upright near the stairs that led upstairs.

"You," Tam said, pointing to Jacen before stomping over to him.

"Tam, don't!" Danni begged as she grabbed onto his arm.

Tam managed to drag his arm out of Danni's grip and shoved her away. She stumbled for a bit, but otherwise wasn't hurt as Tam continued to approach Jacen at a considerable pace.

When Tam was finally face-to-face with Jacen, he decided to throw a wild left cross. Jacen ducked beneath the blow like the experienced Jedi that he was, but he was smacked right up the chin by Tam's other hand, sending him stumbling back up the stairs. Jacen retaliated by kicking out both feet against Tam's midsection, sending him stumbling back across the living area of the grashal.

"Stop it, the both of you!" Danni cried as Onimi and Randa rushed in through the entrance.

Tam once again ignored Danni as he pushed himself to his feet and this time, he charged Jacen like a bull. Jacen leaped over the incoming man, landed behind him, and struck his elbow in the center of Tam's back. Tam collapsed against the stairs before him, but he turned to his back and launched himself for Jacen. He tackled the Jedi against the floor and began delivering blow after blow against him.

However, after a few hits, Jacen managed to grab one of Tam's fists and used his free fist to send Tam flying back off of him. The former Jedi then leaped to his feet and prepared for Tam as the latter rushed in for him again. But when he was halfway to Jacen, Tam suddenly found himself floating in the air, with a dumbfounded Jacen staring back up at him, sharing Tam's look.

"Enough of this," Danni said, holding out her hand to Tam, indicating that she was using the Force to levitate Tam in the air.

Nom Anor then came running down the stairs from the upper floor. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"We'll explain later, Nommy," Onimi said with a wave of his hand.

Meanwhile, Tam looked at Danni, and tears began forming in his eyes. "How could you betray me like this, Danni? I loved you!"

"I'm sorry about this, Tam," Danni said with a sincerely apologetic voice. "I really am. But I have stronger feelings for Jacen. I always did. I regret placing you in this position. That's why I'm offering you the choice to either stay or leave Zonama Sekot; you may continue to stay here if you wish, in a different grashal from either mine or Jacen's, or you may return to the greater galaxy. It's up to you."

Tam sighed as he thought about it, all the while Danni levitating him back to the floor. A few moments later, he looked back up at Danni and said, "I choose to leave."

Danni nodded. "Then you may take the Spiceman."

"Say what?" Jacen, Onimi, and Randa all asked at the same time.

Danni looked at all of the trio in turn. "Did any of you really consider leaving here at all?"

"Well, no, but we would really appreciate if the offer was still open," Randa objected. "Or at least include us in the decision-making process." Randa stared down at the floor in dejection. "Why doesn't anyone want my opinion on things?"

"You want the obvious answer?" Onimi asked Randa.

"I think I'll pass," Randa replied.

"I thought so," Onimi concluded.

"Well, I for one don't mind if Tam takes the _Spiceman_," Jacen said before turning to Onimi and Randa. "Either of you object?"

"I don't," Onimi answered with a shake of his head.

"Randa?" Jacen asked. "Yes, your opinion matters in this, too."

"Well, I certainly never considered living here my whole life," Randa said. "But I guess it wouldn't be so bad. Fine, Tam can take the _Spiceman_."

"Hmm," Danni said with a ghostly resound in her voice. "And I thought I would be punishing the three of you for leaving the _Spiceman_ unlocked by letting Tam take it. Oh, well." She, Danni inhabited by Sekot, shrugged in nonchalance.

"Wait, this was what this was all about?" Jacen asked. "You had Tam find out what happened between Danni and I... because I left the _Spiceman_ unlocked?"

"Very much so, yes," Sekot nodded, still using Danni's body.

"So what would have happened had we all disagreed?" Randa asked.

"You would have still lost the _Spiceman_ to Tam," Sekot answered.

"Okay, that's bad enough to know," Randa commented. "But what if Tam decided he wanted to stay?"

"After all this, with my lover cheating on me with a man whose alternate self here was a genocidal Sith Lord?" Tam spoke for himself. "I don't think so." He shook his head. Then he moved to leave.

After Tam was gone, having closed the door behind him, Danni shuddered, an indication that Sekot had ceased to possess her body for now, and she looked back at Jacen. She then looked around before looking back to her new lover. "He's gone now, huh?"

"Yeah," Jacen answered with a nod. "So... what now?"

"Anyone up for an orgy?" Onimi asked.

Everyone stared at the disgusting Yuuzhan Vong with the same looks that evenly mixed perplexity and revulsion.

Onimi brought his hands and shoulders up in a gesture of deference. "What? I'm just offering a suggestion."

"Would you really want to have sex with me, Onimi?" Randa asked him.

"Uh, on second thought, I now agree with all of you," Onimi corrected himself quickly with a shake of his head. "I honestly don't know what I was thinking."


	21. Chapter 21

Return: Chapter 21

Danni watched as the Spiceman soared for the bright blue skies of Zonama Sekot. She stood outside Jacen, Onimi, and Randa's grashal with the trio, and Nom Anor, just behind her, also watching the sight of their vessel leaving Zonama. Her features were tinged with sadness and regret, but not the kind of regret that would make her want Tam back. Not with Jacen, the man she truly loved, also with her and grasping her shoulders in comfort.

"Well, there goes our ticket out of here," Randa commented. "How else are we going to get out of here?"

"You don't seem all that intent on staying here for much longer, do you?" Onimi asked.

"I'm just saying, it seems kind of awkward now that we don't have any more options but to stay here," Randa defended himself. "That's really all I have to complain about here."

"I still think you hate being here, all the same," Onimi replied.

"Well, it's not like I agreed to come here in the first place, you know," Randa said. "You took me here against my will, let me remind you."

"And where were you going to go?" Onimi retorted. "And would you really have abandoned the two guys you became best buds with in that interdimensional tunnel?"

Randa sighed. "No," he answered, defeated.

"That's what I thought," Onimi said. "Still, there is one other option of leaving this world."

"There is?" Randa asked. "What is it?"

"That interdimensional tunnel I just brought up," Onimi answered.

"I do not want to return to that, you know that, Onimi," Randa said.

"So you wanna stay here and not leave?" Onimi asked.

Randa sighed. "Screw you."

"I'd use that sexy Yuuzhan Vong chick joke again, but I don't feel like rehashing it," Onimi said.

"What?" Nom Anor asked.

"Oh, nothing," Onimi waved away.

Meanwhile, Jacen and Danni ignored the others as they had a more private conversation between them. "Hey, I'm here for you, don't forget that," Jacen said comfortingly. "If you need any help over Tam, don't hesitate to call for me."

"I know," Danni said as she lay a hand on one of Jacen's, which were still on her shoulders. "And I know I should be over him, but..."

"Hey, hey," he said, turning her around to face him. "I don't blame you for missing him. Quite frankly, I'd be downright suspicious if you weren't."

Danni smirked. "How blatantly honest of you."

Jacen smiled. "Hey, when have I been known to be deceitful?"

"Well, given what Tam told me about Caedus... sorry, never mind, forget I said that," Danni said, shaking her head and taking her gaze off of Jacen.

"No, no, I understand," he nodded. "But all the same, I'll be with you if and when you need me. Got it?"

Danni nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I got it."

"Good," Jacen said with a sincere smile. "So how 'bout lunch then?"

"Love to," Danni answered.

~o~

All of the now-dead bodies of the fighter squadron that failed to place a tracking beacon on either of the Skipray Blastboat or Seha Dorval'd escape pod dropped before Darth Krayt in his cabin. The only living being in the room to witness this event, and not perpetrate it, was Krayt's sycophantic Chagrian subordinate.

"Get them out of here, Wyyrlok, and vac their bodies out into space," Krayt demanded of the Chagrian as he used the Force to open the door that led out of his cabin. "I don't care who finds them. It won't matter in the long-run."

"Yes, My Lord," Wyyrlok nodded before lifting the bodies up into the air with the Force and sending them single-file out of the room before leaving himself behind the last body. The various Sith outside were slightly startled and caught off guard at this site, but no one commented about it or asked Wyyrlok what was going on; they just went on their way to attend to their duties.

Krayt used the Force again to close the door before walking over to his desk and plopping down in his chair with a figurative weight on his shoulders; with Zonama Sekot now aware of the One Sith's impending arrival, and the Jedi Order now aware of his organization's existence, Krayt new that he was in a rock and a hard place.

There was really nothing left to do, he thought, other than to continue forward to eliminate Sekot and kill Jacen Solo; the Force had brought back Solo for a reason, he thought, and whatever it was, for it was silent to him, he had the distinct feeling that it would be against him. The entire One Sith order could be at stake, and it was a virtual certainty now that the likes of Luke Skywalker and his narrow-minded subordinates knew of their existence. And while conquering a living world that had been known to bring about the defeat of the Yuuzhan Vong was, by definition, a bad idea, and even more so now that Sekot had been given time to prepare for a grand-scale attack, the One Sith had to continue on if they were to succeed in ruling the galaxy one day.

And when Sekot and Solo were gone, the Jedi Order would be next.

But surely, even if they were to win against the living world, engaging it at all would surely result in a depletion of the One Sith's forces; forces that it could use to engage the Jedi, an organization that most would say would be even more of a threat than a living world and resurrected Sith Lord could ever be. But Krayt was not so minded in the mundane and obvious; while the Jedi were, without a doubt, a threat to the One Sith, to think that Sekot and/or Solo were any less so would surely invite disaster to Krayt and his order.

That was what he believed anyway.

Krayt then pressed the button on the desk that allowed him to speak to all the units of the fleet on their universal comm transmission. "Attention, all forces," he said. "Prepare yourselves for our last hyperspace jump. Get some rest during that time. Because afterwards... we will be at war with a living world. Krayt out."


	22. Chapter 22

Return: Chapter 22

A few hours after he was done his lunch with Danni, Jacen stood before a Sekotan starfighter seedship, fresh off of one of the factories just outside La'okio. It had landed of its own volition in front of Jacen just after Danni lead him out here. He marveled at the organic starfighter before turning back to Danni.

"So this is Sekot's new way of producing seedships?" he asked. "No more of the seed-partners thing?"

Danni shook her head. "After the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Sekot learned that, sometimes, there may come events where she'll have to face unexpected threats, in which time would not permit for the seed partnerships that Ferroans and Jedi typically go through. Granted, of course, we both know that Sekot never had to face any such circumstances, but she was quite aware that the only reason that the Jedi defense of Zonama worked was because they were given enough time for Jedi like Kyp Durron and Corran Horn to bond to seed-partners. She was lucky, Sekot knew, so in preparation for any threats which would be better able to combat Zonama's forces since the Yuuzhan Vong were defeated, Sekot came up with a more efficient and less time-consuming way of creating starfighters, without compromising any structural integrity or any other such technicalities."

"Impressive," Jacen nodded as he turned back to the starfighter in front o him. "And smart of Sekot, too. So when will face this threat?"

"In a mere few hours," Danni answered. "During our lunch, I managed to commune with all of our starfighter pilots across Zonama to ready themselves for battle. You should, too."

"A few hours?" Jacen asked, whirling on Danni. "That's all Sekot's giving us? She didn't think to do this a little earlier?"

Danni cast a wry look at Jacen. "Since when were you so infused in the mundane, Jacen? You know that with Sekot's guidance, we can counter this incoming threat."

Jacen looked at Danni in realization. "Right," he nodded.

Then the cockpit to the starfighter opened up and Jacen turned to it. He cast one last look at Danni before climbing in.

~o~

Mere hours later, the entire fleet of the One Sith dropped out of hyperspace and was now facing the living world of Zonama Sekot.

"Begin orbital bombardment," Darth Krayt ordered to all units via the comm console installed in the right arm of his command chair.

Without hesitation, all of the capital ships in the fleet, including Krayt's own, opened fire upon Zonama. But before any of the lasers, missiles, or torpedoes could even reach the atmosphere, all outgoing projectiles simply stopped several thousand miles away from the atmosphere. The lasers simply winked out of existence while the missiles and projectiles began reorienting themselves to face the ships of the fleet.

Then, without warning, they began to shoot back for the One Sith's vessels.

"Open fire!" Krayt shouted.

Several more projectiles shot out to intercept and destroy the incoming missiles and torpedoes. Many of them found their marks and blew up the returning projectiles. But the shock waves of such blasts sent several Sith vessels back through space; even if most of them weren't hit by any missiles or torps from Sekot, the entire fleet was still affected by the close ranges of the massive blasts in some way or another.

"Deploy the fighter squadrons!" Krayt demanded.

Squadrons of starfighters shot out of the bellies of the One Sith's capital vessels and soared for Sekot. In response, before the Sith's ships were halfway to the planet's atmospheric fold, they were met in battle against the seedship starfighters that Zonama came prepared with.

The Battle of Zonama Sekot was on, as the thousands of starfighters that both sides had to offer engaged in individual dogfights that lit up the skies of Zonama in a miasma of explosions and lights. Debris and misfires also perforated the upper folds of Zonama, and would often come crashing and burning down through its atmosphere. As a result, Sekot began using the Force to redirect all of the damage that it would surely incur back out into space, far away from the battlefield.

Darth Krayt obviously saw this, for he once again ordered all of his capital ships to try an orbital bombardment again. His minions obeyed without question, and once more, lasers, missiles, and torpedoes headed for Zonama, sailing over and beneath the battlefield to avoid hitting any of the starfighters. In response, Sekot managed to redirect some of the incoming projectiles from the capital vessels, but in its preoccupation of making sure that no damage from the starfighter battle could reach it, there were inevitably some lasers, missiles, and torpedoes that managed to enter the atmospheric fold.

Inversely, some debris and misfires from the starfighters of both sides began to rain down upon the surface of the living world. As such, the inhabitants of Zonama all across the planet began scurrying for their shelters and headed for the protective basements that they all hoped would help them weather out this invasion. Onimi was one of those inhabitants, who was joined with Randa and Nom Anor in the lowest level of their grashal. They were all joined in one corner of the basement, all hoping that Sekot could win.

_Onimi..._

Onimi heard this voice. He looked to Randa and Nom Anor to see if they could also hear it. They didn't, for their fearful expressions did not change. So he figured that it was Sekot responding to him telepathically.

_What is it, Sekot?_

_I need your help... for real, this time_.

Onimi rolled his eyes at the reminder of the minor deceit that Sekot played on him just so Jacen and Danni could be alone together for a while. _What is it that you want me to do?_, he asked regardless of his feelings.

_I need you to use your ability to control others to better coordinate the starfighters against the Sith threat; that way, I can better minimize the invevitable damage upon my surface. Can you do that?_

The impacts of the crashes of projectiles and debris were starting to be felt and heard from outside, as if to punctuate Sekot's point. _Fine, I'll do it_.

A few moments later, the thousands of remaining starfighter pilots that Sekot had in its control were beginning to have better coordination among them, and soon, it became obvious and apparent when the Sith fighters' numbers began to dwindle more significantly than before in the course of the battle.

Jacen, among one of the remaining of Sekot's pilots, also felt Onimi's familiar presence in his mind. _Thanks_, he communed to his friend telepathically as he managed to blow a Sith starfighter into a brief flame.

_No problem_, Onimi returned.

And as the Sith starfighters were reducing by the dozens, Krayt watched in horror, and noticed how Sekot was managing to extinguish all of the incoming lasers and once again redirect outgoing missiles and torps back to the One Sith fleet. The fleet, in response, managed to destroy most of the returning projectiles, and weathered the resultant aftershocks. Those that were hit, like before, were either destroyed or were severely damaged.

The battle proceeded this way to the One Sith fleet's disadvantage for a few minutes before Darth Wyyrlok, still shouldering Krayt, asked his Master, "I think it would be most advisable, Lord Krayt, if we should retreat."

Krayt looked at Wyyrlok in pure rage. "The day we retreat from battle, Lord Wyyrlok, will signify that we have failed our duty as the true Sith of this galaxy! We will not retreat, no matter what!"

Then, from behind the still relatively strong remnants of the Sith fleet, an entire fleet of StealthX Jedi starfighters dropped out of hyperspace. While they couldn't necessarily have been seen in space, the Jedi pilots made their presence well known to their would-be Sith opponents.

Krayt watched in abject terror at this event. "We must retreat," he said, straight-faced.

Then the entire fleet turned away from Zonama and faced the StealthX fighters. The latter fleet rushed in to do battle, but in spite of the Jedi's superior numbers, several of their number were blasted away or forced to veer out of the way significantly to avoid fire from the capital ships. In almost no time at all, the remnants of the Sith fleet disappeared into hyperspace with the mere hundreds of the starfighters that it had under its command.


	23. Chapter 23

Return: Chapter 23

Author's Note: Before I begin this chapter, I just want to give a big shout-out to Fettkat for giving me an idea to make Ben and Myri's honeymoon just a little less perfect. Hope you read this, Fettkat! Oh, and this is a revised chapter, so Loteva, SiouxFan, especially you, Loteva, I managed to not have Choka's story end anticlimactically. And I do bring up how pathetic the One Sith were in this story.

The fleet of Jedi StealthXs landed on the outskirts of Zonama just outside of La'okio, joining the remnants of the seedship starfighters that had engaged the fleet of the One Sith. They landed by the dozens, and in only a few minutes, all of the pilots had their vessels shut down and they were out for their leaders to formally discuss what had happened.

Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker and Zonama Sekot's Magister Danni Quee met halfway between the fleet of starfighters and La'okio and they respectfully bowed before each other. The hundreds of the other Jedi who had landed to witness this fairly routine (given that it would only be a formal discussion of the battle) looked out warily to the Yuuzhan Vong who stood a little way away from their Magister; even after fifteen years, even those who were still too young to have fought in the war would look upon these people with mistrust.

"Thank you for your assistance, Master Skywalker," Danni said. "It was well appreciated."

Luke nodded. "A spy within the One Sith, the invasion force, had managed to relay the information of their intentions to us in her escape. So we decided to help you fend the Sith off, at least."

Danni returned Luke's nod. "The battle would have lasted much longer, and may very well have been more destructive if not for the help of the Jedi. Your timing was impeccable."

"Yes," Luke replied. "It is a shame, though, that we weren't able to defeat the entire One Sith in one swift stroke. They are still out there, but at least we are aware of their existence, and make no mistake, we will hunt them down and see to it that they will never be a threat to galactic civilization again."

"That is good to know," Danni said. "Well, as I said, thank you for your help. Farewell."

"It was our pleasure," Luke said. "Farewell." He then turned away and trotted back to his Jedi followers.

A few minutes later, they had all launched for the skies of Zonama and were gone. Danni watched them go as Jacen, Onimi, Randa, and Nom Anor joined her.

"You know, you'd think these One Sith would be a greater threat," Onimi commented. "I was actually surprised at how easily they could be beaten off like that."

"Hmm," Jacen said. "It seems that the more Sith there are, the more incompetent they are. Quality drops with quantity, eh?"

"No wonder the Sith had to be reduced to two," Nom Anor commented. "If they get more incompetent as the numbers rise, then I can see how they'd be more effective in every other way with only a Master and an apprentice. I can understand the covertness offered with such limited numbers, and would make it impossible for even a spy of my caliber..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Onimi interrupted. "So now that this pathetic excuse of a threat is gone, does this mean that we can all go to the reality where I actually won?"

"Oh, yeah, I remember that," Jacen said. "Danni, do you want to join us?"

"Jacen, I'm the Magister of Zonama Sekot, I can't abandon my duties like that," Danni reminded him.

Jacen's face fell in sadness. "Well, I guess I could stay, but since Onimi was such a help in the battle, I guess I owe him. I'll be back, okay?"

Danni smiled. "I'll wait."

"Great," Jacen said before giving Danni a quick kiss.

"Well, I, for one, wish to stay here," Randa said. "I do not wish to leave Zonama."

"Oh, so first you're complaining that you want to leave, now you want to stay?" Onimi replied, irritated.

"I changed my mind," Randa said. "I can do that you know. And you can't make me come either; I've made up my mind."

"Sorry, Onimi," Jacen said. "But Randa's right here. He can stay."

Onimi sighed in defeat before looking to Nom Anor. "You wanna be the regular guy in our trio? After all, do you really want to stay here among a people who want to kill you without us to protect your ass."

"Umm..." Nom Anor looked back to his people, who were just returning to their daily life and beginning to clean up the relatively minor damage done to their homes; a few, like Nas Choka, stared in expectation. He looked back. "Yes, I can come."

"Awesome!" Onimi exclaimed. "So, Jacen, shall we go?"

"Okay, the both of you, grab onto my hands," Jacen said, and Onimi and Nom Anor grabbed each of Jacen's hands with one of their own. Meanwhile, Danni and Randa were leaving to return to their own homes. "Now just let me concentrate."

~o~

Harrar watched as Jacen Solo prepared to take Onimi and Nom Anor out of this reality when he noticed that Nas Choka himself was actually running towards the trio.

No doubt Choka intended to attain his vengeance on Nom Anor out in the open, Harrar thought. So he sprinted after Choka and jumped upon the former Warmaster. Unfortunately, the attack carried the both of them forward to the trio that was about to leave this reality.

Then, just as a bright shining light engulfed Jacen, Onimi, and Nom Anor, Choka and Harrar were caught in it.

~o~

Myri lay contentedly within Ben's arms on the bed that they shared aboard the _Skycrawler_, naked and covered in sheets, when she felt her husband tense up. She looked at him worriedly as he sat up with a horrified look on his face.

"Ben, what's wrong?" Myri asked, concerned.

"I feel a presence that I've not felt since..." Ben trailed off before he continued with, "And I also sense two other presences in the Force; one extremely powerful, the other relatively minute compared to the others, but I'm not familiar with either of them."

"Well, who's the one you are familiar with?" Myri asked.

Ben looked at his wife with terror in his eyes. "Jacen."

"Jacen?" Myri asked in shock. "But how can that be? Jacen died twelve years ago!"

"I know," Ben said. "But somehow, he's here, aboard this ship, alive, and with two others. Get dressed, grab your gun, and stay here. I'll handle this." He moved to get out of bed, get dressed, and arm himself with his own blaster and lightsaber.

"Oh, no you don't," Myri said, also moving out of bed to do as Ben said. "I'm coming with you."

"Myri, I can't endanger you with three Force-sensitives, one who's my evil cousin, by the way, aboard this ship," Ben said. "You won't stand a chance!"

"Well, if there are three Force-sensitives, and you're just one, then you'll need all the help you can get, right?" Myri asked.

Ben smirked. "That's why I love you. You're as stubborn as your dad, you know."

Myri smirked. "Don't insult me," she replied sarcastically.

~o~

Jacen, Onimi, Nom Anor, Choka, and Harrar all landed in a pile on the bridge of an unfamiliar ship. They groaned in pain; the Yuuzhan Vong among them forgetting, after so many years, how to live with that pain; as they hit the floor. But soon, they stood up, checked themselves to see that they were okay, and then looked among each other. There was some hesitation on everyone's part before Choka lunged for Nom Anor. But Harrar grabbed the former Warmaster's shoulders and pulled him back; however, Choka reacted by swinging back against the former priest and smacking him across the face, sending him sprawling back against the deck.

Choka then turned back to Nom Anor and lunged again. But Onimi stepped between them and smacked Choka up the jaw, sending the former Warmaster sprawling to the floor before leaping on him and scratching him by the cheek, knocking him unconscious with a sample of his inner toxins.

"So, Harrar," Onimi said as he stood up from Choka, "you mind explaining on both your and Nas Choka's behalf why you came with us to this alternate reality?"

"Choka was going to attack Nom Anor in a last ditch effort," Harrar explained. "So I tried to stop him."

"Well, thanks," Nom Anor said snidely. "But now he' here with us, so aside from me still being alive, I don't see how this is an improvement, Harrar. We have to deal with him now!"

"Hey, I can just take over his mind and make him quiescent to us," Onimi said, shrugging. "Shouldn't be that hard, I don't see what any of you are complaining about."

"Oh, yeah, you can do that, I forgot," Jacen said.

Onimi turned to Jacen. "By the way, we're in the wrong reality, aren't we?"

"Yeah, Choka and Harrar's interference kind of messed my plotting up," Jacen said.

"Great," Onimi said sarcastically. "So what the hell reality are we in?"

"Hey, wait, didn't you two once tell me that the last time you were here, it took you years for the both of you and Randa to reach the reality you picked Harrar, Choka, and I from?" Nom Anor asked.

"Yeah, but since coming to Zonama, I was kind of learning to center myself more in the Force so that I could travel to another reality in seconds instead of years," Jacen said. "At least we didn't spend a long amount of time in that tunnel."

"Yeah, well, now you're gonna have to correct that little error, aren't you?" Onimi said. "Come on, take us out of here and get us to the reality where I won."

"Hey, that's gonna take time, Onimi," Jacen said. "At least a whole week of me recuperating myself, and that's me going full-time at that!"

Onimi rolled his eyes at this. "Son of a bitch," Onimi said. "All right, like I asked before, which reality are we in then?"

Suddenly, the door to the bridge of the unknown ship opened up, and an older Ben Skywalker and a blond woman nearly a decade older than he came in, aiming blasters at the four of them.

"Hello, Jacen," Ben said in a reserved tone. "Before my wife and I kill you, do you mind telling me how and why the hell you're alive?" He and the woman then seemed to suddenly notice his accomplices, and the unconscious Choka. "Are you all Yuuzhan Vong?"

"You bet your bowl-cut hairstyle ass we are," Onimi said.

"And you two," Ben said, pointing to Onimi and Harrar with his free hand. "You have the Force! I thought Yuuzhan Vong didn't have the Force!"

"Well, that's a long story..." Onimi began explaining.

"Hold on, hold on, Onimi," Jacen said. "First, before I answer your question, Ben, first, I must say, you've grown quite a bit. You look pretty good. And who's that lady right there with you?"

"I'm his wife, Myri Antilles Skywalker," Myri answered for herself.

"Myri Antilles?" Jacen asked. "Wedge Antilles's kid? Wow, you married my cousin? Awesome."

"No disagreement there," Ben said. "But how are you alive, and who are these Yuuzhan Vong?"

"Well, like their Force-sensitivity," Jacen said, pointing to Onimi and Harrar, "it's a long story."

"We're all ears," Ben said.

"Okay, but first, you gotta promise you won't kill me, either of my friends, or that douchebag there," Jacen said, pointing to Choka's unconscious form.

"I can't make any promises," Ben said. "Especially not for Myri."

"Okay, just know, I'm from a different reality, along with all my friends here, and I didn't become Darth Caedus, so I didn't kill your mom or do any of those other horrible things," Jacen said. "It's a little farfetched, I know, but hey, I'm here. And here's a Yuuzhan Vong who has the Force. By the way, how'd you manage to sneak your own Force presence and Myri's past Onimi and I, Ben?"

"Well, if what you're saying about you being from an alternate reality is true, then I gotta tell ya, your alternate self here taught me how to cloak myself from the Force," Ben said. "Fairly useful trick, I'll admit."

"So being apprenticed to myself here wasn't so bad even with that whole Caedus thing, eh?" Jacen asked.

"Don't push it, Jacen," Ben said. "Now your alternate self in this reality was a pretty good liar, so I can't tell if what you're telling me is the truth or not, especially how ridiculous it is. But given how you are somehow here with four Yuuzhan Vong, two of whom are Force-sensitive by the way, I'll have to at least partially accept that and give you over to my dad to see whether or not your story checks out."

"So that means the honeymoon's canceled, Ben?" Myri asked as she and Ben lowered their blasters.

"No, just delayed, honey," Ben said.


	24. Chapter 24

Return: Chapter 24

Author's Note: Please excuse the stupidity of the following. This is my pathetic attempt at comedy.

Nas Choka woke up, finding himself with his wrists tied around his back and his ankles bound out in front of him in what he figured to be the cargo hold of a metallic ship. He began to struggle, but it was a vain attempt, for whatever kind of metal these bounds were made of, they were beyond Choka's relatively average strength as a Yuuzhan Vong.

"Ah, good, you're awake," a familiar voice said from nearby.

Choka looked to the exit of the cargo hold and found Onimi and Harrar standing there. "Had a nice nap from my toxins, Choka?" Onimi continued.

"Where am I?" Choka asked.

"I thought you knew that this was a cargo hold," Onimi said.

"Wait, how did you know that?" Choka asked.

"I can sense the basis of your thoughts," Onimi said. "I could tell that you at least recognized where you were. Didn't think you were that familiar with 'infidel' craft."

"It is good to know the enemy and their vessels in times of war, Onimi," Choka said. "Tsavong Lah would have burst a vein simply looking at the confines of the infidels' craft. I, at least, tried to understand them."

"But not agree with them?" Onimi asked.

"Obviously not," Choka replied.

"Hmm. Of course," Onimi said. "Say, you know, Harrar over here told me you're not all that fond of Nom Anor. And why is that?"

"What do you think?" Choka asked. "His heresy as Yu'shaa the Prophet was one of the main elements that brought down our civilization and reduced the Yuuzhan Vong to nothing more than pathetic pacifists, no better than the infidels, on a world that claims to be the spawn of Yuuzhan'tar!"

"The infidels as pathetic pacifists?" Onimi sarcastically asked. "Not from the way they fought. Especially not the Jeedai. I seem to recall that even Tsavong Lah thought them to be worthy opponents, particularly Jacen Solo, who happens to be a close, personal friend of mine now, Nassy."

"Why did you torment me with your tongue, Shamed One?" Choka spat.

"Torment you with my tongue?" Onimi asked. "Oh, no, this..." He pointed to his mouth. "This ain't tormenting you with your tongue. This is tormenting you with my tongue." Then he leaped across the room, knelt next to Choka, and licked the left side of his face, leaving an acidic, burning scar across the former Warmaster's cheek that he let out a minor scream from.

"What's the matter, Nassy?" Onimi asked, taunting. "I thought you used to like this." He flitted his eyes, as if he and Choka were lovers.

"Harrar, why are you letting him do this to me?" Choka cried out to the former priest.

"Because it is for your own good, Choka," Harrar said. "Because what Onimi has delivered will also change your mind about Nom Anor."

"What?" Choka asked.

"You will see," Harrar said, deliberately leaving the matter vague as Onimi stood up and walked back over to the former priest.

"W-where are we going?" Choka asked.

"Coruscant," Harrar answered. "The world we once deemed to be our true home." Then he and Onimi turned to the exit of the cargo hold and left, closing the door behind them and leaving Choka alone.

Outside, as they walked down the hallway that led from the cargo hold, Harrar asked Onimi, "Did you really have to hurt him to send the toxin that will ultimately render him quiescent to your will?"

"No, but I like screwing with him," Onimi said with a wicked grin.

"That was unnecessary, you know," Harrar said.

"Oh, don't be an uptight knark, man," Onimi said. "Besides, Choka and the rest of the warrior caste, along with you and the rest of the priest caste, and basically everyone who were in the elite castes overall, used to do that to yourselves anyway. So I figured, 'Why not?'"

"We are long past those heinous traditions, Onimi, and you know that," Harrar said. "And we didn't deliver scars through acid either."

"Oh, whatever, you're no fun," Onimi said.

Harrar then stopped Onimi by grabbing his arm and whirling him around so that they would face each other. "You think this is funny?" he asked angrily.

"Yeah," Onimi said with a sure nod, but his tone laced with slight menace.

"Well, that little scarring is not of the light side of the Force," Harrar said. "That was sadistic. And you need to stray away from that and fast. That is why you are ugly in your attaining of the Force so many decades ago."

"Geez, you make it sound like I mutilated him into deformity," Onimi defended himself. "And maybe I am ugly as all hell, but you know what? Sekot still chose me to help her to telepathically battle the Sith, and not you. And why is that, I wonder?"

Harrar then turned and began walking away from Onimi. "Yeah, that's what I thought," Onimi muttered.

~o~

Jacen sat in the single guest cabin of the Skycrawler that he shared with Nom Anor, Onimi, and Harrar for the time being. And while the latter two were dealing with Choka, Jacen and Nom Anor were waiting out the trip to Coruscant by smoking marijuana.

"So this is what Onimi managed to concoct the first time you traveled realities with him?" Nom Anor asked, his tone and posture all relaxed in the chair he sat in.

Jacen nodded leisurely. "It's some good shit, ain't it?"

Nom Anor laughed almost hysterically. "Yeah, yeah, it is."

"Say, man, if I begin having a little freak out, just tell me I don't have to stay in this room, okay?" Jacen asked after another puff on his joint.

"What?" Nom Anor asked.

"Oh, no," Jacen said, his eyes widening in terror. "I'm freaking out! Nommy, please tell me I don't have to stay in this room!"

"What?" Nom Anor asked.

"Please tell me I don't have to stay in this room!" Jacen nearly shouted.

"What?" Nom Anor asked, still dazed and confused from the weed.

Jacen began hyperventilating for a few moments, Nom Anor looking on with obvious confusion, before the door opened and Harrar stepped in. He began coughing and waving his hand around. "What is this?" he asked.

"It's some good shit, man," Nom Anor said as Jacen stood up and rushed for the door.

Harrar pivoted out of Jacen's way as the young Jedi fell to his knees and vomited. The former priest looked on in disgust as Ben also entered the hallway from the Skycrawler's cockpit.

"Oh, c'mon, what the hell is this?" Ben said, waving his arms at the site before him.

"He was apparently smoking some 'good shit,' as Nom Anor says," Harrar said. "Shall I take him to the medical ward of this vessel?"

Ben hesitated as he looked down at Jacen, then looked back at Harrar and nodded absently. "Yeah, go ahead." Then he turned back to the direction of the cockpit. "Hey, Myri!"

"Yeah, honey?" her voice rang from the cockpit.

"Go get some paper towels, my idiot, drug-smoking cousin vomited on the floor of the corridor!" Ben called.

"Why can't you do it, you're already there!" Myri asked.

Ben grunted. "Fine," he said as he marched to the Skycrawler's kitchen area while Harrar led Jacen by his shoulder to the medward.

"Say, where's Onimi?" Jacen asked.

"He and I had a little disagreement, so he's elsewhere," Harrar said.

"Where?" Jacen asked.

~o~

Onimi and Choka were laughing hysterically as the marijuana fumes between them ran through the air of the cargo hold. "So, wait, wait, wait," Choka said, still enthused, "you're telling me that all that time, you were really in control of Shimrra?"

"Hell yeah, I was!" Onimi exclaimed. "You were all following my decree! He was just saying what I wanted you to follow, while I got to say my own crap!"

"Dude, that is awesome!" Choka said, bursting out into laughter again.

"I know, right? So all that time, you were dying by the rule of a Shamed One!" The laughter between them erupted anew.

When the laughter died down, Choka then broke out crying.

"Hey, what's wrong, man?" Onimi asked.

"We died because of your decree!" Choka whined. "All those warriors! The Lahs, Shedao Shai, the Praetorite Vong, my clansman Shok, all because of y-y-you!" He then completely broke down sobbing.

"Hey, man, it's okay!" Onimi said, patting Choka's back.

"No, no, it's not!" he exclaimed, shaking his head violently before it ended with him vomiting on the floor.

"Oh, you're right about that," Onimi said as he observed the vomit. "You want me to leave you alone for a while."

Choka nodded.

"Okay, I'll leave you alone for a while. Apparently, I still need to perfect the marijuana formula in my system so you won't vomit," Onimi said before he stood up and walked to the exit of the cargo hold. "I have to go the bathroom anyway."

He then walked down the hall to the refresher, but found that the door was locked. He heard running water inside; someone was taking a shower right now. He shrugged, knowing he couldn't wait, so he rubbed his palms against the door, letting the acid burn the door away. He then walked in and began urinating in the open toilet. Before he was finished, though, he decided to flush it.

In the closed shower, Myri yelped at the hot water running, and she opened up the curtain. "Ben, you know you shouldn't do tha-AAAAHHHH!"

"AAAAHHHH!" Onimi replied, his member still hanging out.

Myri screamed again, and Onimi replied in kind. They continued at this for a few moments before Myri closed the curtain on him.

"Okay, you know what, I'll just leave the seat down, how 'bout that!" Onimi replied as he smacked it down and ran out, forgetting to zip up his pants.

"Ah, Onimi, put that away!" Harrar's voice rang out in the corridor.

"Dude, I never knew you had it so long!" Jacen's voice replied in kind. "That's just awesome! If you weren't so ugly, you know how much you'd get laid by your species' chicks?"

~o~

Nom Anor, now sitting alone in the room, suddenly had a freak-out similar to what Jacen had experienced. His one eye widened in terror. "Oh, no," he muttered to himself. "I've got no one to tell me I don't have to get out of this room. I need to get out of this room! AAAAHHHHHH!" He then got up, ran to the door, and vomited out in the hall.

Ben, his head now coated in Yuuzhan Vong vomit, slowly looked up in reproachful anger, still not finished up cleaning up Jacen's vomit.

~o~

Later, dinner came, and everyone sat at the table, including Choka.

And it was awkward to say the least, especially between Onimi and Myri.

Ben was observing as Onimi and Myri deliberately avoided gazes as they all ate. He was about to ask his wife what was going on when Choka, sitting next to Onimi, leaned in and said in a quiet voice, "I love you, man."

"No, no, you don't," Onimi replied, also avoiding Choka's eyes. "You're still on the weed; I am sorry about that."

"Are you sure it is the marijuana?" Harrar asked. "You are sure it is not the toxin that you gave him to make him more quiescent?"

"Quite sure," Onimi said.

"Say, what happened between you and Myri in the bathroom, man?" Jacen asked.

Onimi then banged his fists on the table, and Myri looked away from everyone else. "Please don't mention that, Jacen, you'll only make it worse," Onimi said.

"What are you talking about?" Ben asked, managing to lock gazes with Onimi.

"Ben, please don't ask," Myri said, laying a hand on his arm.

"You saw her naked, and she saw your dick like Harrar and I did, didn't you guys?" Jacen asked. Harrar slapped his own forehead with his palm in annoyance.

"Okay, you also seriously need to lay off the weed..." Onimi said, but was interrupted by Ben.

"You saw my wife naked?" Ben asked, furious.

"And she saw his dick, too," Jacen said. Beside him, Harrar slapped his forehead again before slapping Jacen's forehead. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being an idiot," Harrar said.

Jacen opened his mouth to object, then closed it in realization. "Seems like a pretty good reason," he shrugged.

Ben's stare at Onimi grew truly furious this time. "What were you doing in the refresher with my wife?"

"Dude, it was an accident!" Onimi pleaded, raising his hands up in defense. Ben then stood up and began walking around the table toward Onimi. The deformed Yuuzhan Vong's tone became more desperate. "I swear, I only went in to take a leak; I didn't care who was in the shower! Then I flushed the toilet and, well, she..." By then, Ben towered over the still-seated Onimi. "Opened the shower curtain?" He put on a nervous smile.

Ben didn't reply. Instead, he took out his lightsaber, ignited it, and deftly swung it to decapitate Onimi.

But the deformed Yuuzhan Vong managed to deflect the strike by grabbing Ben's weapon wrist and began to secrete a portion of his inner toxins into the Jedi's system. The young human was unconscious before he hit the floor with his saber deactivated.

Myri looked in shock at her downed husband before looking back up at Onimi with righteous fury. "What did you do to him?"

"Trust me, I didn't kill him, I just rendered him unconscious..." He trailed off as Myri whipped out her blaster and aimed to shoot.

But once again, Onimi reacted even faster by sticking out a palm that sent out a substantial Force-wave to Myri, sending her flying back to the wall behind her and knocking her unconscious, her form sitting up against the wall.

When the conflict was over, everyone left conscious was silent for a few moments before Nom Anor commented, "Well, that went well."

"Ben and Myri certainly didn't overreact," Jacen said sarcastically.

"Onimi, what are we going to do?" Choka asked his would-be lover imploringly, grabbing his arm.

"Get off me!" Onimi said, snatching his arm out of the former Warmaster's grip. "Okay, I've got an idea."

He first knelt down to Ben's unconscious form and bit the Jedi in the arm with his fang.

"What are you doing?" Harrar asked.

"I just applied a formula of toxin that will render his memory of the past several moments prior to his unconsciousness null and void," Onimi said as he stood up from Ben. "I'm going to do the same to Myri, except it will be from the last several hours." He then walked over to Myri, but before he could bite her, he stopped when he noticed something in between her legs.

"Hey, is she supposed to be having blood come out of there?" Jacen asked, pointing to Myri's crotch.

"I don't think so," Onimi said. "I'm going to try a Force-meld to see what's going on."

"You know how to do a Force-meld?" Harrar asked.

"Of course," Onimi replied. "Jacen told me how to do one the first time we were in that tunnel with Randa years ago." He turned back to Myri and grabbed her by her sides.

After a moment, he stood back from her and stared down at her in horror. "Oh, crap, she was pregnant with twins," Onimi said. "A few weeks or so by now."

"Was?" Choka asked. "You mean that Force-wave you gave her..."

Onimi looked back at his fellows in fear. "I just gave her an accidental abortion!"

At that moment, Myri stirred to consciousness. Everyone, especially Onimi, looked back at her in expectation. After a moment, she saw the blood come from her crotch, and she instantly grabbed her belly. "No," she muttered before looking back up in anger at Onimi. "You bastard!" She then aimed her blaster up at him.

But he used the Force to yank the gun out of her hands and into his own before using the Force again to smack her head back against the bulkhead, knocking her unconscious again.

"Hey, what's going on?" Ben asked wearily as he woke from consciousness. When he saw Myri up against the wall, he asked, "Hey, why's my wife unconscious?"

But before anyone could offer him an explanation, Onimi was already upon him, delivering a toxin in his system that knocked him out unconscious again before delivering the mind-wipe drug to him.

The deformed Yuuzhan Vong then rushed over to Myri and applied the very same mind-wipe drug, erasing the past several hours, from the time he saw her naked in the shower all the way to the point he aborted her baby, and then used the Force to float both unconscious spouses up into the air.

"What are you doing now?" Harrar asked.

"I'm going to drag their asses back to their room, and I'm going to deliver yet another toxin in both their systems that made them think that they were just horny enough to skip dinner and go straight to dessert," Onimi said as he walked over to the exit of the dining area. "And I'm also going to make them think that Ben screwing her this time was what caused the abortion."

"I don't think that is how it works, though," Nom Anor said.

"Hey, at least the blame won't be on me!" Onimi exclaimed.

"What?" Myri asked, stirring to consciousness again.

Onimi then released his Force-hold on her, dropping her to the floor, and smacked her in the head, knocking her unconscious once more. Only this time, his knuckles had secreted a toxin that was currently allowing Ben to sleep. Onimi then raised Myri into the air again with the Force before continuing back to their room.

Everyone else back in the dining area watched Onimi depart with Ben and Myri.

"So how long do you give them before they find out what Onimi did to them?" Nom Anor asked everyone else.

Before anyone could answer, Jacen suddenly vomited on the table. Choka followed suit before Nom Anor finished it off.

"Onimi's imperfect marijuana fighting your systems?" Harrar asked.

The rest of them nodded in agony from what had just happened before Harrar smacked his palm to his forehead, again, as he looked out upon the mess of puke there.


	25. Chapter 25

Return: Chapter 25

Author's Note: So we had quite a bit of fun with Ch. 24, haven't we? I know you did, Fettkat, especially with the revised version (evil smile). Well, this chapter is going to take itself a little more seriously, so no stupid vomit jokes here, or any further accidental abortions. I bet I'm well loved among the fanfiction community by now, aren't I (sarcasm). I'm probably writing myself out of a job as a future writer, eh? (end note)

Ben and Myri woke up equally groggy and weary, both naked and covered in the sheets of their bed.

"What the hell happened?" Myri asked as she and Ben sat up.

"I'm not quite sure," Ben replied, nursing his head. "I'm trying to remember... I remember the both of us being horny enough to skip dinner and just get right to bed."

"We really need to cut down on our desserts, huh?" Myri asked.

Ben smirked. "Now why would we wanna do that?"

"Yeah, good point," Myri replied. "But don't you think it might've been a little rude to leave your cousin and the Yuuzhan Vong alone?"

"I don't think they minded," Ben said, shrugging.

"Why not?" Myri asked.

"I think they're all too high to care," Ben said.

"Well, Harrar still seems sober," Myri said. "You think we should have at least been gracious enough for him?"

"Well, let's see," Ben said. "It's Harrar versus the company of my cousin and those other idiot Vong who are all high from drugs that they vomit from. I think we made the best choice."

Myri raised an eyebrow. "I still think..." She then trailed off when she suddenly felt a pain in her stomach.

"Myri, what's wrong?" Ben asked, grabbing her by the shoulders to comfort her.

When the pain subsided, Myri said, "Ben, there was something I was meaning to tell you."

"What?" Ben asked.

Myri hesitated, but she came out with it. "I'm pregnant."

"You are?" Ben asked in disbelief. "Well, that's wonderful." Then realization came over his face. "Then that pain..." Ben quickly placed a palm over his wife's stomach and conducted a brief Force-scan there before looking in horror in Myri's eyes. "I don't sense any other life there..."

Myri shared his look of horror instantly. "Our baby..." It wasn't long before she collapsed into her husband's arms, sobbing uncontrollably, with Ben joining her as well.

~o~

Outside the hall, the Skycrawler's other occupants listened in before departing at Onimi's lead.

"Well, now they won't suspect me," Onimi said in relief.

"That was a horrible thing you did, you know," Harrar said.

Onimi turned to Harrar. "Hey, it's not like I did that on purpose. Ben overreacted because I accidentally saw his wife naked, so I had to defend myself. I didn't mean to give her an abortion!"

"So that comforts your conscious?" Harrar asked indignantly. Jacen and the other two Yuuzhan Vong with Harrar stood awkwardly by. "You know how much pain you've just caused them? You are going to live with yourself after this?"

"Hey, from the reality that he and the three of you came from," Onimi pointed out, "as well as in this reality, the other mes had no problem causing four years of pain, death, and conflict for trillions of beings for almost five years. So I honestly have no problem with tricking a couple into thinking that they somehow caused an abortion between them." He shrugged as he said that last line before turning away.

"No wonder you are so hideous," Harrar said, stopping Onimi in his tracks. "It reflects your inability to use the Force correctly; and if you had actually cared about who was in that refresher, this wouldn't have happened, you disgusting creature!"

Onimi then reached out and began gripping Harrar's throat, lifting him up in the air. The former priest grabbed at his throat, struggling for air.

"Onimi, stop this!" Jacen demanded.

Onimi didn't listen; he kept on choking the life out of Harrar.

"Honey, please don't do this!" Choka cried out. "I beg of you!"

Onimi still didn't reply.

"Oh, the hell with this," Nom Anor said before charging headlong for the deformed Vong.

Onimi noticed Nom Anor heading for him, so he dropped Harrar and punched Nom Anor up the jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. The deformed Vong then leaped upon the former Prefect and pinned him to the floor.

"Do not test me, Nom Anor," Onimi growled.

Suddenly, Onimi flew back and was pinned against the bulkhead off to the side; by then, Harrar had already recovered from the choke-hold and was using the Force against Onimi with considerable effort.

The door to Ben and Myri's room opened up, and the spouses came out, fully clothed and emoting equally with grief and perplexity.

"What's going on here?" Ben asked.

With that, Harrar released Onimi, letting the deformed Vong collapse to the floor as the others turned to Ben and Myri.

"Uh... we were playing a game," Jacen improvised. "Onimi and Harrar were determining who was stronger in the Force."

"Yes, that's exactly what we were doing," Onimi said, having already stood up and joined Harrar's side. He looked to the former priest. "Weren't we?"

Harrar sighed. "Yes, we were."

By the looks on their faces, though, Ben and Myri weren't convinced. But given their grief for their unborn baby, they didn't press on. They just turned back to their room, comforting each other along the way.

When they were gone, and the door was closed behind them, Harrar whirled on Onimi. "You're welcome." He turned from Onimi and returned to the cabin they all shared, alone.


	26. Chapter 26

Return: Chapter 26

The Skycrawler landed on the roof of the Jedi Temple with Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2, Jaina Solo Fel, Jagged Fel, Allana Djo Solo, Wedge Antilles, Iella Wessiri Antilles, Syal Antilles, and the entire Horn family all standing expectation before the Skycrawler's boarding ramp lowered into position.

The first occupant to walk down the ramp startled everyone waiting into drawing their weapons; the Jedi for their lightsabers, instantly igniting them, and the non-Jedi among them aiming their blasters for Jacen Solo.

Jacen stopped in his tracks with his arms raised. "Hey, don't worry," he said in a calm voice, "I'm not Darth Caedus. I'm actually a doppleganger of your version from an alternate reality."

"Like any of us would buy that," Han commented, not one of them lowering their weapons.

"Ben told me that he and Myri were returning to Coruscant because they had something to tell me, so I brought everyone along who may be concerned," Luke spoke up. "I assume you would be the something he would tell me?"

"Well, me and my Yuuzhan Vong friends," Jacen said as he continued to climb down the ramp at a leisurely pace; no one moved to attack him in any way, but neither did they drop their wariness. Their concentration instantly divided as they saw Nom Anor, Onimi, Nas Choka, and Harrar all climb down.

"First, what have you all done with Ben and Myri?" Jaina asked before turning to Choka and Harrar. "Second, what are you two doing off Zonama Sekot?" Then she turned to Onimi and Nom Anor last. "And third, how are the both of you still alive?"

"Boy, if I had a nickel for every time we were asked questions based on the fact that we're from alternate realities, we'd all be rich," Onimi commented to Nom Anor.

"What was that?" Jaina asked.

"Oh, nothing important," Onimi answered honestly.

"I don't believe you," Jaina said. "Especially since the last time I underestimated you, Onimi, you had me wracked up between statues of your gods decades ago. Why should I believe you?"

"Well, that's kinda the thing, Jaina," Jacen answered. "You see, Ben and Myri brought us here for Uncle Luke to inspect us, particularly me, for whether or not we're lying about being from alternate realities."

"Ben couldn't determine that for himself?" Luke asked.

"Well, since I was Darth Caedus in this reality, he thought I might just be making a convincing deception against him," Jacen said. "So he thought that by bringing me to a more powerful Force user than myself, i.e. you, Uncle Luke, you'd be able to either confirm or deny my claims."

"Well, then I'll just ask the simple question," Luke said. "Are you really from an alternate dimension."

"Yeah," Jacen nodded.

After a moment, Luke said, "Very well. You're from an alternate reality. But how's that possible?"

"Mistake with the Aing-Tii's Force abilities during my sojourn after we beat the Yuuzhan Vong," Jacen said.

"Seems like a big one to me," Han commented. "I thought you were a better Force user than that, Jacen."

"So did I," Onimi piped in. "But he can't get us to the right reality at all."

"Oh, get over it," Jacen said.

"But what about Ben and Myri?" Syal Antilles asked.

"Oh, them, right," Nom Anor said. "Well, you see, they had a miscarriage."

"What?" everyone across from the arriving group asked in shock.

"How many times have I heard that word asked in my general direction?" Onimi asked himself quietly. "I'd be richer than the Force if the Force had money... which would be a lot."

"Uh, well, you see, we don't know exactly how that happened," Jacen said, "but they had a miscarriage, and..."

"You're lying," Luke instantly called out. "I can sense the truth about the death of the baby, but I can tell that you know more than you're telling me."

"Well, it appears that you are not getting out of this one," Harrar commented to Onimi quietly.

Jacen sighed, meanwhile. "Okay," Jacen said. "But let me explain. Onimi here decided to take a leak in the bathroom while Myri was showering because he didn't care. He saw her naked accidentally, and Ben overreacted and almost tried to kill him. So Onimi knocked Ben out, infuriating Myri to try to kill Onimi, but Onimi decided to use the Force against her to knock her out. Unfortunately, that caused the accidental abortion. So, in order to cover his ass, Onimi gave Ben and Myri toxins that made them believe that they just had a miscarriage."

By now, everyone was looking, enraged, at Onimi, who stared back at them with a nervous smile.

"Luke, is it of the dark side if we decide to kill him?" Han asked his brother-in-law.

"Yes," Luke said. "So for all non-Jedi, I won't control your actions from this point."

And with that, the non-Jedi began shooting at Onimi.

But the deformed Vong used the Force to erect a wall around himself as he ran to the edge of the roof and jumped over the ledge. Everyone then ran to the ledge, but when they all looked over, they found that Onimi was nowhere in sight.

"Okay, for that, I think Onimi at least deserves a few years in prison, but I don't think anyone should kill him," Jacen protested.

Everyone who wasn't a Yuuzhan Vong looked at Jacen with dead stares.

"All right, stupid thing to say," Jacen said, raising his hands up in defense. "But I still hold that Ben overreacted in the first place."


	27. Chapter 27

Return: Chapter 27

Author's Note: You know, even if I don't get anymore reviews, I'll still go on with this story just for the sake of it. (end note)

"He did what to me?!" Myri exclaimed, outraged at what she was just told.

Both Ben and Myri's families, including the Horns, congregated in the near-vast bedroom that served as Ben's quarters in the Jedi Temple as Luke explained to the young spouses, both seated on their bed, what Onimi did to Myri.

"We're really sorry, Myri, all of us," Luke said. "But I promise you, we will find him and we will take him into custody."

"The hell you will!" Myri replied angrily as she pushed herself out of the bed. "I'm going to find him myself."

"Not without me, you won't," Ben said, also standing up and grabbing her arm, preventing her from leaving prematurely.

"You'll also need us to take on Onimi anyway," Jaina piped in. "He's still too dangerous to take on alone, given his abilities in the Force. I should know firsthand."

"Oh, I doubt Onimi will be much of a threat," Myri said. "I still have Talon Karrde on my side..."

~o~

"Great," Onimi muttered to himself as he lay on a bed of Yuuzhan Vong-grown moss in a near-destroyed building within the lower levels of Coruscant. "Back to the start as a Shamed One, living off as a vagrant; at least I don't have any abusers from the elite. Too bad I don't have anyone to share this pain with. Oh,l c'mon, Onimi, why are you talking to yourself now? Are you really trying to stave off insanity already? Wow, I can't believe I already miss Jacen. Hell, I'd take Randa right about now, or even Harrar or Choka. And Nommy! I hope I see you again one day, Nommy!"

"Speak of the devil," a familiar voice said at the exit of the room that Onimi was laying in.

Onimi sat up and saw Nom Anor entering the room with Jacen, Harrar, and Nas Choka following suit.

"Guys!" Onimi exclaimed, rocketing to his feet. "How'd you find me?"

"Harrar and I simply locked in on your Force presence," Jacen answered. "You do a good job hiding yourself in the Force, which is why none of my family in this reality found you yet. But since I spent so much time with you as your friend, I had something of an advantage. Granted, it still took me Harrar's help, but overall, we came to get you outta here."

"You mean outta this reality?" Onimi asked.

"Yeah," Jacen nodded. "I miscalculated on the rate from which I can refill my Force power levels back to the point that we can get leave this dimension. Turns out that even with the bare meditation I got, it still takes me around about two to three days instead of a full week for me to prepare..."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, let's just get the hell outta here before your family..." Onimi began.

He was cut off when the wall behind him exploded, rocketing forward to plow him into Jacen and the other Yuuzhan Vong. They crashed outside the room into the hallway there in a giant heap. When they all recovered and managed to stand up, they saw Myri Antilles Skywalker walk calmly out of the smoke with her husband beside her.

"Finds me," Onimi concluded.

"C'mon, get us outta here!" Onimi cried.

"I can't! I can't concentrate!" Jacen exclaimed.

"Well, we have to get the hell outta here then!" Onimi cried out.

"You're not going anywhere, you bastard," Myri said, leveling her blaster up at him. "And you can't protect yourself with a Force shield, because guess what we brought along."

After a moment, Jacen looked at Myri in horror. "Ysalamari?"

She nodded. "It's within the vicinity. And now prepare to die, Onimi."

"Wait!" Jacen said, standing in front of Onimi.

"Get out of the way, Jacen," Ben said. "This is between Myri and Onimi."

"Look, could we just settle this reasonably?" Jacen asked.

"Reasonably?" Myri exclaimed. "He aborted my baby and made Ben and I think it was our fault! There is no reasoning with him!"

"And he looked at my wife naked! And showed her his dick, too!" Ben added.

"Okay, hold on, I admit that Onimi accidentally aborting your baby and making you forget about it was pretty bad," Jacen said. "But, c'mon, Ben! Just for accidentally seeing your wife the way you see her and for also accidentally flashing himself to her? I imagine that's worth a few smacks in the face at worst, but killing him? Even all this combined isn't worth a death warrant! You should all just calm down and talk this out rationally."

After a moment, Myri lowered her blaster. Ben looked perplexed but also lowered his blaster, too. "All right, Jacen, we'll do it your way."

"Really?" Jacen asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Just get out of the way so I can rationalize this out with Onimi."

"Okay," Jacen said, and moved to get out of the way between Myri and Onimi.

"No, you idiot, don't do that, she's just saying that so she can blast my ass!" Onimi cried out, dragging Jacen back in front of him.

Jacen looked at Onimi, confused, before realization dawned upon him. "Oh, yeah." Then he turned back to Myri. "No way then!"

Ben and Myri rolled their eyes in frustration. "Ben," Myri said, "if you would please drag your idiot cousin out of the way please."

"My pleasure," Ben said as he walked towards Jacen.

"Hey, Ben, I don't wanna hurt you..." Jacen began before Ben decided to deliver a right cross to his cousin's face.

But Jacen blocked that cross and shoved Ben in the chest, forcing him back to Myri's side. The couple looked back at Jacen in surprise, given how Jacen was able to defend himself without the Force.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Even without the Force, I'm still a badass. You think Vergere's teachings didn't make me into a weapon without the Force?"

"Eh, I'll forget it, I'll just stun you," Myri said as she leisurely switched the setting on her blaster.

But Jacen already had his own blaster whipped out and pointing at Myri. "You really wanna do that?"

Ben then whipped out his own lightsaber and ignited it. "Do you really wanna do that?"

Jacen then ignited his own saber. "Maybe I do," he challenged.

Ben then took out and aimed his own blaster. "You wanna reconsider?"

Jacen smirked. "Not a chance."

"Well, so much for talking this out rationally," Nom Anor commented.

Then Choka piped in. "Okay, you know what, I don't think Onimi deserves death for either of the things you want him dead for."

"Don't do this, Choka, you'll just make things worse," Onimi tried to tell him.

"No, I have to say this, Onimi, my love!" Choka said before turning back to Myri. "You're talking like Onimi just killed a person!"

"Excuse me?" Myri asked angrily.

"That fetus in your womb wasn't even a real person anyway!" Choka said. "It was just a parasite that would have fed off you for nine months! Onimi did you a favor!"

Ben and Myri gaped at Choka in shock. "Ben, can you kick his ass for me, please?"

"I'll actually do it this time," Ben said, deactivating his lightsaber and holstering his blaster to walk over to Choka.

"You know, I can hold my own like Jacen, since I'm a warrior, too," Choka said before Ben punched him in the gut, sending him sprawling to the floor in pain.

But just as Choka collapsed in pain, Jacen fired his shot for Myri, knocking her out with a stun bolt. Ben whirled around to react, but Harrar, who was beside Choka, leaped upon Ben and tackled him to the ground. Jacen then aimed his blaster for Ben just as Harrar pushed up from the younger Jedi, and a second later, Ben was also out for the count.

"Where's the ysalamari, we have to kill it!" Onimi stated.

"Hey, we don't have to kill it, man!" Jacen said. "We just have to get out of its range."

"But we don't know where it is!" Onimi complained.

"Again, that's why killing it isn't a priority," Jacen countered.

Onimi rolled his eyes. "Fine, we'll do it your way."


	28. Chapter 28

Return: Chapter 28

When Jacen, Onimi, Nom Anor, Choka, and Harrar all ran outside the building, they all stopped dead in their tracks when they found all of the members of the four families - the Skywalkers, the Solos, the Antilleses, and the Horns - standing there, all of them taking out their blasters and aiming them at Onimi's direction.

"You may have been able to escape Ben and Myri, Onimi," Luke said, "but you can't escape us. And after we incarcerate you for what you did to my son and his wife, I won't raise an eyebrow if I find you dead some time later after Myri walks out of your cell."

"Uncle Luke..." Jacen said, stepping in front of Onimi.

"That's Master Skywalker to you, Jacen," Luke said. "And why are you taking his side? You say you're not the Jacen Solo who became Darth Caedus, yet you defend the actions of the one who's ruining your cousin's life?"

"Look, like I said so many times before," Jacen said, raising his arms up in a defensive position, "what Onimi did was pretty bad. But you can't just allow for murder to happen! It's not the Jedi way! Even I can understand why Ben and Myri would want to kill him, but are you really going to go this far and risk all of you, especially Ben, going to the dark side, even if it is just Myri doing the killing? Whether you allow Myri to kill Onimi, or if you allow Ben to kill Onimi, you're still committing murder for a crime that doesn't necessitate execution! And from what I heard, you didn't even allow yourself or Ben, Uncle Luke, into using the dark side of the Force when you had the chance to kill my Caedus version here during the Battle of Kashyyyk."

Luke sighed after a moment. "Very well. You make a good point, Jacen. But Onimi still needs to pay."

"Fine, let's settle this then..." Jacen trailed off as the shot of a blaster sounded from behind his group.

They all turned and found Choka now standing in front of Onimi. The former Warmaster then collapsed at the deformed Yuuzhan Vong's feet. The latter then bent down and collected him in his arms, observing the smoking hole in his chest.

While Jacen was reasoning with Luke, Choka saw Ben and Myri, who were standing at the entrance of the rundown building, exiting with Myri aiming a gun in Onimi's direction; Choka had moved in the line of fire and took the bolt.

"It was an honor to serve you..." Choka then sputtered out, "Supreme Overlord." And with that, his head plopped back against the ground and Choka was no more.

Onimi then looked up in anger at Myri.

"Wow, you actually care about someone other than yourself," Myri scoffed. "Well, you can't do anything to me now, can you? Not with that ysalamari nearby."

"You mean that ysalamari that's up there in that airspeeder?" Nom Anor asked as he pointed up to the floating hovercraft that was just on level with the floor of the building that Ben and Myri blasted their way through to get to Onimi and the others.

"How did you know that?" Ben asked, given how their point of view couldn't possibly allow Nom Anor to figure out that there was a ysalamari there.

"Just a guess," Nom Anor shrugged. "But now that you confirmed it..." He then swiftly grabbed Jacen's blaster out of his holster and fired a bolt in the underside of the speeder. It then spiraled to the ground in between the families and Onimi's group, crashing in a fiery explosion and killing the ysalamari in it.

Now all Force-users could feel its life energy again.

Ben then whipped out and ignited his lightsaber, rocketing towards Onimi as Myri let loose a barrage of lasers in the deformed Vong's direction. But by then, their target had already departed off to his right and was making a mad dash away from the parties intent on killing him. Jacen quickly joined him while Harrar lifted Nom Anor up in his arms and joined the other two who were running away.

"After them!" Luke declared.

The chase didn't last long as the fleeing group entered a building, and upon all of their entries, the floor beneath their feet collapsed and they all began to fall into a dark abyss below. When the pursuing mob, with Luke in the lead, stopped at the entrance and Luke tried to search through the Force for Jacen, Onimi, and Harrar. After he finished, he turned back to the families and said, "All Force-users, with me! The rest of you, stay behind. None of you will be able to survive the fall."

"I'm still coming," Myri insisted.

"Fine, Ben, carry her down for her," Luke said before he jumped into the hole with the Jedi members of his group following suit.

~o~

"How much longer is that going to fool them?" Onimi asked Jacen as he carried the human over his shoulder while he and Harrar, who was still carrying Nom Anor, leaped off the roof of the building they entered and to another nearby roof, traveling away from the group of four vengeful families.

"Just keep quiet until we're about a whole mile from them," Jacen said, focusing his Force-illusion up back at the building where Luke, Myri, and the other Jedi were believing they were still falling through a dark abyss. "I'm trying to keep the illusion up for just that long."

A few minutes later, after much roof-jumping, the foursome were finally a mile away from the families, and Jacen dropped his concentration.

"All right, c'mon, man, work your magic and get us outta here!" Onimi said as he set Jacen down while Harrar set Nom Anor down.

"Shut up, and I'll do it," Jacen said before he entered concentration.

"So we're just going to leave Choka's body behind?" Harrar asked.

"Obviously, he won't care," Onimi shrugged off.

"I thought you cared about him!" Harrar exclaimed.

"We'll talk about this later," Onimi muttered.

Harrar shook his head. "I honestly don't know why I'm still with you."

Then a white beam enveloped the four of them, and they were out of the reality.

~o~

Just after the Jedi and Myri exited the building that they were somehow duped into believing they were falling for several minutes, all of the Force-users among them suddenly stopped in their tracks and stood still for a minute. The non-Force users among them stared back at their comrades with wariness before the Jedi snapped out of whatever trance they were just in.

"Onimi, Jacen, Harrar," Luke said. "They left this reality, with Nom Anor no doubt."

While Ben fumed at this news, more so than anyone else in the group, it was Myri who actively yelled, "AAAAHHHH!" at the top of her lungs.


	29. Chapter 29

Return: Chapter 29

When Jacen, Onimi, Nom Anor, and Harrar all came out of that tunnel a few minutes after they left the previous reality, they all found themselves back on Zonama Sekot in the very spot where they had previously departed.

Onimi sighed. "Let me guess. We ended up back in the reality where we left Randa."

"Well, I can certainly sense his Force-presence back at our grashal," Jacen said after briefly immersing himself in the Force. "In fact, I can also feel Danni with him. Has she... Oh, no." He said those last two words with horror before he burst into a sprint into La'okio. Onimi, Harrar, and Nom Anor all followed suit.

Not much later, Jacen, with his three Yuuzhan Vong accomplices behind him, ended up facing Danni as she stood outside their grashal with Randa nowhere in sight.

She wore the same expression she gave Tam when he figured out that she cheated on him with Jacen.

"Danni!" Jacen exclaimed, not even being need to be told about what had occurred. "How could you...?"

"I'm sorry, Jacen, but I..."

"No, really, how could you?" Jacen asked. "How the hell did you fall for Randa? And how could you possibly have sex with him?"

"Well, it's a bit complicated, but..."

"You know what, on second thought, I don't wanna know," Jacen interrupted. "In fact, I don't even wanna see Randa, or you, anymore. I could understand you leaving Tam for me, but you leaving me for Randa? And never mind how you can be interested in him, I'm just curious as to how you fell for him so fast!"

At that, Randa came out from the grashal, slithering behind Randa and placing his giant, slimy hands on her shoulders as she leaned back against his fatty yet muscular form.

"I was just there for her, Jacen," Randa said. "And you decided to leave her just to please Onimi."

Jacen then looked from the Hutt to Danni. "Well, if you had a problem with me leaving, why didn't you say so?"

"Because, Jacen, I knew you were always the introspective one who would travel to see all aspects of the Force, and, given where you came from, of reality," Danni said. "I didn't want to hinder you; but I also needed someone. And Randa was there to fill the void."

"Hey, I understand that exploration of the Force thing," Jacen explained, "but I wasn't concerned with understanding reality. I was just letting Onimi here see what would happen in the reality where he would have won the Yuuzhan Vong War."

"And did we do that?" Onimi piped in.

Jacen sighed irritably before looking back at who could be argued to be his best friend. "No, unfortunately, we didn't." Then he turned back to Danni and Randa. "So, because I was gone for what, like a few days or so?"

Danni and Randa nodded.

"Yeah, so I was gone for a few days," Jacen continued, "and you go and betray me like this, Danni?"

"I suppose you would like to leave Zonama, wouldn't you, Jacen?" Danni asked, avoiding answering Jacen's own question.

"No shit I would," Jacen answered. "But since you gave the Spiceman off to Tam, and I can't leave this reality for another three days so I can allow myself to build up my power again, it seems as if I'm stuck here, now aren't I?"

"It seems that you are," Danni commented neutrally. "But would you like to stay at this grashal until that time?"

"While you and Randa are also here?" Jacen asked. "I don't think so."

"No, I meant that Randa and I would stay at my grashal, and you and..." Danni looked over to the trio of Yuuzhan Vong behind Jacen. "Say, where is Nas Choka?"

"Choka died because of Onimi's idiocy and carelessness," Harrar answered.

"Hey!" Onimi exclaimed.

"What, he did!" Harrar countered. "He died sacrificing himself for you so that an angry woman who you caused an incidental miscarriage towards wouldn't kill you!"

"Huh?" Danni and Randa both asked simultaneously.

"Oh, good, a variation to that question," Onimi commented to himself.

"Look, that's not the point," Jacen said as he absently waved back at Onimi, Harrar, and Nom Anor. "You were saying, Danni?"

"I was saying that you and your friends could stay at this grashal while Randa and I would stay at mine," Danni said. "Does that seem fair to you?"

Jacen grumbled. "Yes, it would."

"Good," Danni said as she grabbed one of Randa's arms and began walking away with him.

"Hey, um," Nom Anor said as the odd couple were passing him and the other two Yuuzhan Vong that he traveled realities with, "since Choka is dead, does this mean that Onimi will have to endure some kind of punishment for his demise, given that he was responsible for it?"

"I thought you were on my side, Nommy!" Onimi called out. "I mean, I'd expect Harrar to do this, but not you!"

"I am on your side, man!" Nom Anor defended himself. "I was just trying to find out if you would get punishment, it's not like I'm trying to get you in trouble for having one of the guys who tried to kill me end up dead!"

"Wait a minute," Danni said, placing a palm to silence Onimi and Nom Anor. "Why would Choka sacrifice his life for you, Onimi?"

"I gave him some drugs that changed his mind and personality to make him quiescent to me," Onimi said. "That way, he'd leave Nommy alone."

"And that's why he gave his life for you," Danni concluded.

Onimi nodded nervously, fearing the punishment that Nom Anor predicted.

"Well, given that Choka decided to stray from Sekot's rule of peace, and given that he was also outside her authority when he entered that other reality with all of you, Onimi will not receive any such punishment," Danni stated.

"Oh, good," Onimi said in a sigh of relief.

"By the way, Harrar," Danni said, "I sense a lot of anger in you. What is wrong?"

"I am uncomfortable with what Onimi did in that other reality," Harrar explained.

"So I see," Danni said. "Then tell me, if you are so emotionally against it, why did you not stop it?"

"Because, as much as I, in fact, despise Onimi for what he did, I did not want to go against the one who Sekot herself deemed was worthy enough to help her repel the Sith threat that had Zonama so embattled mere days ago," Harrar answered. "It makes me wonder why I wasn't selected to help."

"I see," Danni said vaguely. "Well, Harrar, let me tell you this; just because Onimi was selected by Sekot to help her, that does not mean he is a better person than you."

"It doesn't?" both Onimi and Harrar asked at the same time.

Danni shook her head. "No. It just means that Sekot saw that Onimi had more power, given how much longer he had it than you, Harrar, so she decided to seek his help in countering the Sith. You are still floundering in your power, and it will take much time until you can reach your full potential in it."

"Ah," Harrar said with a nod of his head. "Now I understand."

"So this means that I'm an asshole?" Onimi asked.

Danni looked back at the former priest. "Harrar?"

"Yes, Onimi, that means you are an asshole, and I should not have helped you," Harrar said.

"Well, then, you're not coming with me, Jacen, or Nommy on anymore travels to any other realities, got that?"

"I'll leave that up to Jacen, since he is the one who allows for you to travel to other realities in the end," Harrar said before turning to Jacen. "Am I still allowed to come with you three to other realities, Jacen?"

"You still wanna be with us, Harrar?" Jacen asked.

"Well, not with Onimi giving miscarriages to women in other realities, no," Harrar admitted.

"Then I guess you don't have to come," Jacen answered after a while.

After a moment, Harrar asked him, "Say, why did you support Onimi giving that miscarriage to the wife of your cousin's alternate version?"

"Hey, I didn't support it, I just saw that it was an accident," Jacen said. "And I couldn't abandon my friend."

"Aww, thank you, Jacen," Onimi said in a tone that didn't seem all that sincere, as if he were faking sincerity.

Only Harrar seemed to notice that. But instead of acknowledging Onimi, he turned back to Jacen. "Fine, do what you will with your friend, Jacen." Then he turned and walked away, with Danni and Randa also leaving awkwardly after the former priest departed.

"So," Onimi said, "what do you guys wanna do to kill time so we can leave reality again?"

"How about that orgy you were so enthusiastic about?" Nom Anor asked.

Onimi looked at Nom Anor with a straight expression on his deformed face. "You're gay for me, aren't you, just like Choka was."

"What can I say, that marijuana you gave us was awesome, even though it makes us puke," Nom Anor shrugged with a smile.

"Who'd've figured that my weed makes people fall in love with me, along with getting them high and puking," Onimi commented. "I'm surprised this didn't happen in you, though, Jacen."

"Maybe it's because I'm Force-sensitive," Jacen said in a tone that betrayed his sadness over losing Danni. "Perhaps it has some kind of counter-effect to that love thing for me. Or maybe it just works on Yuuzhan Vong, I don't know."

Then Onimi's face lit up. "I got it!" he said. "Let's do an experiment to find out whether or not my toxin will make Harrar fall in love with me!"

"And then we can have that orgy, Onimi?" Nom Anor asked enthusiastically.

Onimi stared back at him with that neutral expression of his. "Sure, Nommy," he said in a tone that anyone sober would determine was sarcasm.


	30. Chapter 30

Return: Chapter 30

After departing from Onimi and the others, Harrar returned straight to his grashal, locked the door, and sat in the center of his living area to meditate and continue to hone his abilities through the Force.

Several hours later, as dusk began to settle over La'okio, Harrar was startled out of his third bout of meditation when his attuned senses felt a subtle disturbance in the confines of his home. Something was wrong, he knew. So he stood up from the spot where he sat cross-legged on the floor and began to move in the direction of where he sensed that disturbance coming from: his kitchen.

When he entered the kitchen, he was nothing there. But that didn't assuage any of his fears or senses, as that disturbing presence was a constant to his overall being. So he slowly began to move through the kitchen, searching it out with the Force like a radar.

Halfway through his search, though, he was suddenly attacked from behind by a mysterious being that Harrar, at that very moment, felt was the presence disturbing his senses. The invader tackled Harrar to the ground and scratched the back of his neck. In an instant, the former priest suddenly felt euphoric and happy as he turned on his back, now that his attacker had pushed himself off of the former priest.

"Onimi," he said wearily, "what are you doing here? Why...?"

"I wanted to commence an experiment," Onimi said. "I figured, 'Hey, I've got nothing better to do than to screw with the guy who whined about what I did in that previous reality.' So now I'm going to see if my marijuana will make you fall in love with me."

"Fall in love with you?" Harrar asked. "You mean like Choka?"

Onimi nodded. "And Nom Anor."

"Nom Anor fell in love with you?" Harrar asked.

"It's weird, I know," Onimi said. "Not that it's wrong or anything, because I'm all for gay people and stuff. Especially lesbians, but that's not the point. I saw that my weed didn't affect Jacen, so I'm just seeing whether or not it's because he's Force-sensitive or human. Or maybe it's both, I don't know." He shrugged at that last part.

"Well, quite frankly, even though it may still be too early to tell, I don't love you, even with all this euphoria," Harrar said. "So maybe it's because of the Force-sensitivity."

"Well, like you said, it's still too early," Onimi countered. "So I'll give you a day or so."

A day, Harrar thought. Perfect. Just enough time to inform either Sekot or Magister Quee about Onimi's invasion of his home; maybe then he'll get that punishment for what he did to Myri Antilles Skywalker.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that you could tattle on me," Onimi said. "So I'm going to remedy that." He then leaped back on top of Choka and bit him in the arm with his fang. When he pressed himself up to his feet again, he explained to Harrar, "That was to make sure that you will not inform Sekot or Quee about what I did to you. And don't worry, I made sure that it won't interfere with my marijuana in your system, so I won't get any biased results."

"I wouldn't put much faith in that kind of ability, Onimi," Harrar replied, still trying to fight his euphoric state with the Force. "You can't seem to perfect that marijuana of yours, what with the vomiting and all."

Onimi simply shrugged. "I can find out if there was an effect anyway; I know I'm at least that good." With that, he turned and left the kitchen to leave Harrar's grashal, leaving the former priest to writhe on the floor with those toxins in his system.

~o~

The next day, Onimi knocked on the door to Harrar's grashal. "Harrar, you in there?" he called.

"Come in," Harrar's expressionless voice replied.

Onimi opened the door and walked in, finding Harrar seated on the floor of his living area in what was meditation. The former priest looked up at his deformed counterpart expressionlessly, mirroring his voice.

"It has been a day, obviously," Harrar said. "And I feel no different feelings for you, even after the euphoria wore off."

"Did you vomit at all, or feel even a minor sense of nausea in your system after I administered the marijuana?" Onimi asked.

"No," Harrar answered. "Although I do think it may have something to do with that other toxin you gave me that prevented my telling Sekot or Magister Quee of what you've done."

Onimi sighed. "It seems I do have a bias," he said in a defeated tone. "I guess I'll have to try again with you being more cooperative without any other influence by me other than the marijuana administration."

Harrar sighed. "You are not giving me any other choice?"

"None whatsoever," Onimi answered. "I've got another two days here with Jacen and Nommy, so I intend to at least do something productive."

"You are an asshole," Harrar said. "But administer your marijuana, and I will not tell Sekot or Quee."

"All right, but I'm staying with you to make sure you don't tell either of them," Onimi said.

"What about Jacen and Nom Anor?" Harrar asked.

"Ah, I already gave them marijuana just for this occasion, as backup, you know," Onimi said.

"You think ahead at least," Harrar replied sardonically.

~o~

The next day, after hours of vomiting, and the euphoria wearing off, Harrar told Onimi, "I still don't love you."

"All right, so Force-sensitivity is a factor in this," Onimi said. "But how would it work for a member of another species without Force-sensitivity?"

"There are no other humans here other than Jacen..." Harrar began.

"Oh, no, I wasn't talking about humans per se," Onimi said. "But there are at least three other species here that I can experiment on."

"Three?" Harrar asked. "I know of the Ferroans and those Bothans, but what are the other species?"

"The Chazrach," Onimi answered. "They came with you guys when the war ended, didn't they?"

Harrar opened his mouth to answer, but closed it before answering, "Actually, I do not know; for all I'm aware, the last of their kind would have been exterminated by the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar."

"Oh, that's comforting," Onimi said sarcastically. "Well, either way, I think I'm going to get me a Ferroan for experimentation." He moved to the door.

"Wait, you leave tomorrow!" Harrar said. "Don't drag another person into this!"

"Calm down, would you?" Onimi said. "Fine, if you don't want me to do it, I won't."

Harrar sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you."

"At least we'll finally be able to leave, and you won't have to see me again," Onimi said.

"Yes!" Harrar exclaimed with his arms raised to the air.

"You know, I enjoyed these times I've had with you," Onimi said sarcastically.

~o~

The next day, Jacen, Onimi, and Nom Anor all gathered in a circle outside their grashal, and the two Yuuzhan Vong waited as Jacen marshaled power to finally leave with them. Danni, Randa, Harrar, and several other Yuuzhan Vong gathered around to watch them depart for the last time.

Soon, the trio was gone, and they found themselves in that Force tunnel again.

"All right, let's begin looking for that reality where I win," Onimi said.


	31. Chapter 31

Return: Chapter 31: Final Chapter

Six months after their last departure from Zonama Sekot, Jacen, Onimi, and Nom Anor still could not find the reality wherein Onimi had won the Yuuzhan Vong War.

"Half a year, man," Jacen said. "Half a year, and we still haven't found that reality in the infinity of reality. And while we may not need food, water, or anything like that, we're still aging, man, particularly me, since I age three times faster than a Yuuzhan Vong."

"Uh, huh," Onimi said as the three of them looked at the images of scenarios of different realities within that light-filled tunnel. Not one of them showed a reality where the Yuuzhan Vong, and thus Onimi, had won. "So what's your point, Jacen?"

"I say we quit this, since it's a waste of time," Jacen said. "And I kinda wanna live my life outside this tunnel."

"So what the hell you gonna do then?" Onimi asked.

Jacen shrugged. "Anything but this. But tell you what, before you freak out on me for refusing to cooperate with you any longer, how about I make a deal with you?"

Onimi crossed his arms. "I'm listening."

"How 'bout I take you to the reality where I screwed up with the Aing-Tii and you can learn how you can screw up from them, and thus find the answer to reality-traveling?" Jacen asked.

Onimi thought about it. "Sounds like a good idea, actually. I won't have to rely on your ass anymore, especially when you take us to the wrong realities anyway."

"Hey, I got us back to the Zonama Sekot where Danni managed to cheat on me with Randa," Jacen said. "So I'm not a total screw-up. I got that part right."

"Yeah, but you still lost a hot chick to a Hutt," Nom Anor commented before giggling from the recent marijuana dose Onimi gave him minutes earlier.

Jacen ignored Nom Anor. "All right, Onimi, just let me drop you off."

~o~

Tadar'Ro watched in amazement as a bright beam of light hovered in the air near the cave that led to the Embrace. And when the light vanished, in its place dropped an ugly, deformed creature, who landed on his feet as agile and graceful as an athlete. The figure then walked over to Tadar'Ro.

"You an Aing-Tii?" the figure asked.

"I am," Tadar'Ro answered via the translator that contained Jorj Car'das's voice. "And who are you."

"Name's Onimi," the figure answered. "You remember a guy named Jacen Solo?"

"Why, yes, I remember Jacen," Tadar'Ro answered. "I remembered how we literally lost him during one of our training sessions. He seemed to have been lost from reality."

"Out of this reality anyway," Onimi confirmed. "I wanna learn what he was learning."

"Why?" Tadar'Ro asked.

"So I can find a way to mess it up and learn to travel realities," Onimi answered honestly.

"Why?" Tadar'Ro asked.

"So I don't have to rely on Jacen again to do it," Onimi said.

"Okay," Tadar'Ro replied. "But why do you want to travel realities?"

"Because I want to find the reality where I, as leader of the Yuuzhan Vong, won the war against this galaxy's native inhabitants; at least this galaxy in another reality's equivalent," Onimi said. "Jacen was impatient with that, so we made a deal. And this was it."

"Why do you want to see this reality?" Tadar'Ro asked.

Onimi groaned in impatience. "Look, that's none of your business. Will you help me or not?"

"Give me one reason why I should," Tadar'Ro said.

Onimi opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off when another bright light appeared behind him. He turned to it, and when the light vanished, Ben Skywalker and his wife Myri stood there; the Jedi with his lightsaber, his spouse with her blaster.

"Onimi," Myri said darkly, "time to die." She looked to Ben. "Soften him up first, my love."

Without reply, Ben raced after Onimi. But before the deformed Yuuzhan Vong could react, Ben suddenly dropped to the ground with his eyes closed.

Myri looked in shock at her downed husband before looking back up at Onimi in anger. "What did you do to him now, you monster?!" Then she fell to the ground, too.

"What?" Onimi asked in confusion. He looked back at Tadar'Ro. "Did you do that?"

The Aing-Tii replied, "Yes. But I did not do it for you; the Aing-Tii detest violence on our world in any form, to any being, even yourself, Onimi."

Onimi sighed. "I already seem like an asshole to you, don't I?"

"I sense much negativity in your soul," Tadar'Ro said. "If you would allow me, I could help you expel that negativity so you could be a better person."

"And why would I want to be a better person?" Onimi asked.

"So I may train you," Tadar'Ro said.

Onimi considered this. "Fine. I accept. But what about them?" He pointed to Ben and Myri.

"I will help them exercise their grievances with you," Tadar'Ro said. "But not in anything that would be to the detriment of your being, of course."

"Oh, this should be fun," Onimi said sardonically as he looked back at Ben and Myri.

THE END

Author's Note: Well, this is my longest, most-chaptered, most-reviewed fic ever. I thank all of you who read and reviewed, and I appreciated all your comments, both good and bad. Because for all the bad I've written, I am allowed to write it, just as you are all allowed to voice your opinions on it. Again, thank you all.

Oh, and to Fettkat: any chance where we could have this version of Ben and Myri exercise their demons with Onimi here? You know, write a fic together where we could actually resolve this with your authorial talents? I honestly wanna see what you do with this either way. If you do kill Onimi, though, or write him out of character (which, admittedly, I have done; sorry), I'll either end up cancelling that hypothetical partnership or helping you hammer the story out; I'll see what comes. I hope you accept this, Fettkat, because I do like you as a writer!


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